Tales of Bandle City: Familiar Bonds
by Candlestic
Summary: Graduation is coming in Bandle City. And with it comes opportunity, loss and change. A whole new world has opened up. But at what cost? Will a dream continue to hold when faced with reality? How does one move forward when holding onto the past? And most of all, can one hold onto their true self when faced with overwhelming adversity? 6th in ToBC.
1. It's Hard Being the Responsible One

**Author's Note: Heeeyy! I'm back :D! Did you miss me? Sorry for how long it took for this new chapter but I really needed the break. I'm feeling a lot more positive about this year so hopefully updates will be a lot more consistent :). I'm quite excited for this new one. Some fairly significant stuff goes down in this one. Anyway, that's all from me: hope you enjoy!**

* * *

It was a mild, summer day in Bandle City, but that did little to stem the enthusiasm emanating from all the high-school students only a few weeks out from school's end. A mix of excitement and anticipation was running high through the young yordles, ramping the naturally lively and chaotic atmosphere up to eleven.

Tristana, of course, ignored this as she made her way through the midday crowd; she had enough on her plate without worrying about everyone else's nerves and fears. The churning in her stomach increased at the sight of her workout clothes stacked neatly at the front of her locker. Today was the day. The day she was going to make her dream a reality. Today she was going to try out for the Megling Commandos. And she was terrified.

A close presence behind her had the blue girl turning with a smile, expecting to be greeted by a manically, grinning face or the short, scowling form of her friends. Instead she blinked in surprise at the suave smile, piercing blue eyes and a short-furred face way too close to her own.

The girl fought the urge to roll her eyes at the tall yordle. "Connor," she greeted him shortly. "Ever hear of personal space?"

"Hey Trist," he flashed her a winning grin, ignoring her comment as he closed her locker door to lean against. Tristana managed to keep her face neutral but that didn't stop her ears from flicking once in annoyance. Connor didn't notice. "So I was thinking, it's almost the end of the year right and we're graduating soon. It'd be a shame to let that go past without celebrating it. So I thought to myself, what better way to end the year than with a party! I'm holding it at my place tonight. You should totally come. It'll be a blast! Almost everyone from our year will be there. But it wouldn't be the same without you."

Tristana shot him sceptical look, "Gee, that sounds like a tonne of fun." The tan yordle completely missed the sarcasm, his smile widening at her words. "But I can't. I have plans for tonight."

He pouted, trying to look cute. "Aww, come on. Our school year's about to end and it's only for one night. I'm sure your _pals_ won't mind waiting one evening. I mean really, what would you rather be doing?"

 _Honestly, anything else,_ Tristana bit her tongue before the words could verbalise, instead settling for a frosty, "Trying to get into the job I want. Which, funnily enough, is exactly what I'm doing tonight."

With that blunt statement, the blue girl pushed past the boy to head to lunch but Connor persistently kept up.

"Playing hard to get huh? That's what I like about you Trist. You're not afraid to be yourself around me. But come on. You're always spending so much time working and trying to become a Megling. There's more to life than that. You need to socialise more. Live a little." A rough hand on her wrist stopped her forward march, causing Tristana to turn in frustration.

However, before she could object a surly voice cut them both off as its owner pushed himself between the two. "Hey! I know you're stupid but even you can't be that dense. She said she's not interested, so back off!"

Tristana sighed, a mixture of happiness, resignation and irritation expelled at the sight of her bristling friend currently facing down Connor.

The tan yordle stared down Rumble distastefully. "Oh yeah?" he mocked. "And who are you to say what she wants? You're not her boyfriend."

The red flush consuming his face was easily distinguishable against the blue of his fur. Rumble stepped forward with a growl, only for Tristana's quick reflexes to catch his arm before the confrontation escalated. As much as she loved her friend dearly, in times like this she really wished Ziggs were here instead. At least then she wasn't guaranteed of needing to stop a fist fight.

"Connor, for the last time. I don't have a boyfriend. I don't want a boyfriend. And if I did they certainly wouldn't be speaking for me. Now, like my _good friend_ was trying to clarify, I already said I'm not interested. Now if you would excuse me, I'm late for lunch. Come on Rumble." Forcefully pulling the shorter boy away from the other, she tried to ignore the words tossed after them.

" _Friends,_ ri-ght. We all know why that ragtag group follow your every whim and it's not because of your charming personality. Well, I guess for a bunch of losers they have good taste. Personally, I would love to-" His sentence was cut off as forcefully as Rumble's punch. The heavy hit causing the boy to real backwards from the sheer force of fury set behind it.

As Connor regained his balance, he looked up, the burning hatred distorting his good looks just as much as the mottling bruise already swelling along his jaw. Rumble met his glare head on. The fuming yordle took a step forward for another go, only for an unyielding grip on his jacket to pull him up short.

"Rumble stop!" Tristana's voice cut through the haze of anger clouding his mind. The taller girl pulled him back a step as Connor retreated; the look he shot back telling Rumble that this wasn't over.

 _Bring it,_ he thought smugly.

A sharp blow to his ear quickly brought his attention back to the girl behind him. Turning, he was met by a pair of narrowed turquoise eyes baring into him.

Shifting nervously, he shrugged, "What?"

That was obviously the wrong thing to say as the blue girl exploded, "Don't you 'what' me. I can't believe you _punched_ him. Actually, the sad part is, I can. Seriously, how hard is it for you _not_ to start a fight?"

"Hey! I didn't start it, I just finished it."

"Rumble," the girl's voice held a note of warning, causing the short boy to quickly continue.

"Besides, you don't have to worry, I won't punch him again. That fucking hurt! No wonder he's so dense, his head felt like it was made out of solid rock." The yordle shook his hand in emphasis.

An explosive sigh forced its way out of Tristana and she lowered her head into her hands. "Language Rumble," she reprimanded him.

The steel-blue teen sent her an irritated look, "Don't you dare start on me about that, you hypocrite. I know you swear too. Or did you think we'd forgotten about the giant hissy fit your mother had when she heard you?"

She matched his glare, "But I don't swear at school. Between that and the fighting, it's like you're trying to get expelled. Come on Rumble, we have three weeks till graduation. Three weeks! Could you at least _try_ not to get into any more fights until then? I know even you can do that long."

The short yordle gave her a non-committal shrug, "I'm not going to sit around and let him say those things about you."

Tristana rolled her eyes, a hard edge coming into her voice, "I can take care of myself you know."

"Oh I know. Hard to refute that when you've been taking care of _us_ for years," Rumble commented casually. He paused indecisively before admitting, "But I know you're trying to get into the Meglings Unit. You can't afford to have something like that on your school record. At least if I punch him, everyone expects it of me. At this stage it's not like it matters what it does to my record. Nor does anyone care."

The last part was mumbled, not meant to be heard. Tristana felt her anger melt out of her frame. Damn. It was always so hard to stay mad at her friends. As infuriating and crazy as they may be, she could never fault their compassion and loyalty.

"Well I care," she jostled his shoulder good-naturedly. "I want to graduate with _both_ of my friends. Cause they mean more to me than anyone in this school. And maybe even more than my chances of getting into the Commandos."

Her grin said more than any words could and Rumble couldn't help but meet it with a small one of his own.

"Thanks Trist," his amber eyes were soft and open, causing the girl's heart to constrict at the ever-raring look. What she wouldn't give for them all to be young and naïve again.

Instead of dwelling on it she let her grin grow wider. "Well, now that I've successfully dealt with your daily disaster, where's troublemaker number two? We still have another 15 minutes of lunch. That should be enough time to get to him before something explodes right?"

A small frown tugged at the short yordle's lips. "Yeeah, about that. Ziggs' is in the cafeteria trying to ask Victoria out."

"Shit," Tristana swore.

"Language," Rumble jeered, earning him a jab in the ribs.

Ignoring her friend's pout, Tristana started briskly towards the school eatery. "We should probably find him. Chances are he'll need some moral support." She tried to stay positive, "Though you never know, she could say yes."

The blue boy snorted, "I doubt it. That girl's so shallow a desert could hold more water. There's no way she'd look past her popularity status long enough to give him a chance. Not to mention she hates your guts because of how much attention Connor gives you. Honestly, I don't know what Ziggs even sees in her. He's a great friend but his taste in girls sucks."

Tristana frowned, she hated to admit it, but he was right. Victoria was the definition of beautiful. With rosy-pink skin, long blonde hair an immaculate sense of style she made even Tristana self-conscious. Unfortunately, she was also as vain and self-centred as she was pretty. Tristana had seen her cut many a yordle to shreds over the smallest of transgressions. The pale-blue yordle didn't often question her friend's sanity, but right now she was starting to. Really, what was Ziggs thinking?

"Then we better get to damage control fast."

"Actually, that's the other thing." Something about Rumble's words made her pause, turning to take in his sullen pose as he continued. "I can't help. Mr Dean wanted me to meet him in his office to talk to me about my 'wasted potential'. I'll probably be stuck listening to him all lunch. Technically I should be there already but I wanted to give you a heads up about Ziggs. And, well, ahh… I figured, since I'm not likely to see you before then, I figured now would be the best time to wish you luck for tonight. Not that I think you need it, since you'll do great, but I just know how much it means to you." By the end of it, he was mumbling at his feet but that didn't stop the blinding grin Tristana got. "Thanks Rumble," she murmured as she pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

He tried to pretend that was the reason he couldn't breathe.

* * *

Ziggs could feel the butterflies in his stomach rise as he crossed the cafeteria. Idly, his nerve-fogged brain wondered if, when he threw up, he'd barf insects instead. He pushed the feeling down with a giant grin as he approached the pretty, pink yordle and her friends.

 _Play it cool,_ he told himself, _you got this._

"Hey Victoria," he greeted her.

She looked up at him with a puzzled frown. "Do I know you?"

Ziggs felt his grin dip ever so slightly but he pressed on. "Name's Ziggs. We do chemistry together." At her blank look he felt the butterflies surge back with a vengeance and he started to fumble; becoming conscious of his hands as he continued babbling. "I sit behind you. I was the one who accidently hit you with the rocket-powered paper plane. Ah, sorry about that, by the way. In fact, I probably shouldn't have said anything-"

 _Come on Ziggs,_ he mentally berated himself, _play it cool and confident._

Leaning up against the table he sent her a megawatt smile. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to-"

Turns out leaning on the table had been a terrible idea, as his hand came down on the edge of a tray and the tawny yordle suddenly found himself performing a spectacular nose dive. Meanwhile, as gravity helped him get reacquainted with the ground, the reactionary force sent the food shooting up, up and, inevitably, down onto him.

 _Physics is a bitch,_ he thought bitterly as the girls at the table burst into laughter.

"I remember him now!" A girl with long, grey ears tugged excitedly on her friend's arm. "Vicky, he's the one who blew up the science labs!"

Victoria's look of recognition was not the one Ziggs had wanted. "Oh, so you're combustion kid." She stood up with an apologetic expression, "Look you're cute – sorta like in an awkward dorky way – and normally I might have thought about it. But honestly, I'd like to keep my hair and eyebrows where they are. No offense." With that the group of girls moved off, still giggling.

Despondently, Ziggs watched them go, only to catch sight of a mortified blue face.

Tristana didn't speak as she approached. Sympathy swelled in her aqua eyes but for once, the confident girl was unsure what to say.

Ziggs gave her a half-hearted smile, "Crazy weather we're having isn't it? It's raining pudding!"

The girl humoured him with her own small smile before she sighed. "Come on. I have a towel in my locker you can borrow."


	2. Waiting

**Author's Note: Sorry in advanced for the shortish chapter. It was either a slightly shorter chapter, a monstrously long one or cut it in a really awkward spot. Hope you all enjoy it anyway :).**

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Ziggs gratefully took the proffered towel, relieved to rid himself of the tense silence as much as the pudding. Tristana soon fell from his view as he swiped the towel over his head in a well-practised motion. The blue yordle had long ago stashed a towel in her locker after one too many messy mishaps. Rumble had a spare one in his locker as well, though unsurprisingly, Ziggs had yet to take the initiative.

The familiar situation tugged a small smile (and an eyeroll) from the girl before her frown resettled. "I take it it didn't go well," she asked softly.

Ziggs paused, bright green eyes meeting hers from under the fabric before he shrugged. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Tristana's mouth thinned at his logic. While true, it had been unlikely from the start. "Rumble doesn't like her," she addressed the flaw both were aware of without openly saying it.

However Ziggs sidestepped the obvious, "Rumble doesn't like anyone."

 _True,_ she admitted to herself before pressing on more directly. "I don't like her either."

The boy sighed, "Yeah, I know. She's pretty though."

Tristana snorted in derision, "So am I, but you don't see me treating our classmates like they're garbage. Seriously, a few boys get interested in her and suddenly she thinks she's better than everyone."

"Says the girl who could have any boy in the school if she wanted to but isn't interested in a relationship."

Tristana bristled at the comment. "I am interested in a relationship! I am! I don't know why yordles say I'm not."

Humoured by her reaction but not meaning to upset the girl, Ziggs tried to explain, "Trist-"

"Sure, I'm not really interested _right_ now, but that doesn't mean I'll never want a boyfriend or a family in the future."

Unfortunately for him, Tristana's rant was in full swing. He was well aware that when she got like this almost nothing could stop her, but when had something like that ever stopped him from trying before. "Trist."

"But everyone acts like the world will end if I don't get one in high school. For crying out loud, I'm sixteen, not sixty!"

"Trist."

"I have enough to worry about between keeping the two of you out of trouble and trying to get into the Meglings." Her rant had now escalated into pacing. If he didn't stop her soon he'd have to use drastic measures.

"Tristana."

"So what if I want my career to come first and a relationship second? There's nothing wrong with being driven."

" _Tristana."_

"Plus all the good looking guys at our school are major jerks anyway. Where's the appeal in that? Unless you're _Victoria_."

"TRISTANA!"

The blue girl paused mid-step, blinking at him in shock.

"Look I know," Ziggs said, handing her towel back as he spoke, "and I have no problem with that. If you don't want to go out with anyone yet that's fine. I was just trying to make a joke about the irony of the situation. You know, how you could have any guy here but don't care while I can't get a date even when I try."

She deflated sheepishly at his words, "Right sorry. It's just between my mother and Connor – argh! I'm tired of always having to explain myself."

He patted her back, "I know."

Sending him a grateful glance she continued, "I still think you could do better."

His smile slipped and he didn't respond.

"Hey," Turning to face him directly she asked gently, "are you alright?"

And for once, Ziggs answered honestly, "No." Then he sent her a small smile. "But I will be."

Tristana felt her muscles relax at the smile – his first real one all afternoon. Chucking the towel back into her locker she pulled him along. "Good. Cause we're going to be late to Phys-Ed if we don't leave now. And here I was hoping for an uneventful lunch for once. Guess I should have known that was too much to ask between the two of you."

"Oh? Two?" Ziggs' grin grew wider. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with those 'cute assholes' you were talking about before?" He batted his eyelashes at her only to get a hand shoving his face backwards.

"It would happen to be me pulling Rumble off of Connor for inviting me to a party. Honestly, I feel like a parent around you two sometimes. Constantly vigilent for the next mess I'm going to have to pull you out of. At least with Teemo…" she trailed off as her expression fell before slowly coming to a stop.

Ziggs felt his own smile fade as fear and sadness clawed its own way up his lungs. He quickly shoved it aside. "I'm sure he's fine." Forcing a smile, he continued, "You should be more worried about me. Have I told you about my latest scheme yet? You're gonna love it. Probably kill me too, but that's a given so it's beside the point."

Tristana's laughter rang out as he exuberantly pitched his elaborate plans to her, lifting some of the oppressive weight he refused to acknowledge. Trist was nervous enough about this afternoon as it was. She didn't need to also be worrying about their missing friend.

* * *

Tristana fiddled with the bottom of her shirt as she waited nervously for the results. This had been the final hurdle to get her on track to becoming a fully fledged Megling. After all those months of interviews, tests and call-backs. After all the exhaustive nerves, intensive training and hopeful determination driving her beyond her limits. It had all been leading up to this. This final fitness test would be the make or break point. Once the judges came back she would know if she'd made it into the Commando course or not.

Around her other hopefuls milled about. Some pacing with anticipation, while others recovered from the gruelling workout. Most she didn't recognise (either older than her or from a different school), though she could see a couple of familiar faces. These few would send her fortuitous smiles upon eye contact but little else, everyone too tired and too nervous for small talk.

Trying to overcome the oppressive feeling squeezing her insides, the blue girl let go of her shirt hem, only to run her hands through her short hair. A small smile forced its way past her nervous grimace. The recent shoulder-length had proven quite useful in these tests, making her doubly glad she'd gotten it cut (the first being her mother's reaction). Not having to worry about her hair getting caught in anything had really allowed her to focus fully on the task at hand and (in her own opinion) excel at the physical tests.

"Hey kiddo!" A bright voice brought Tristana's head up, a grin splitting her face at the sight of the fiery yordle heading her way.

"Artemis!" she greeted the commando enthusiastically.

"Fancy seeing you here," the big-haired yordle winked.

"You know I wouldn't have missed this," she quipped back as the commando slumped into the seat next to her.

Ever since their first interaction at the international ball several years ago, the two had steadily grown close friends. Each event Tristana had been forced to go to becoming less of a chore and more of a chance to get to know her hero better.

Artemis, for her part, had also become quite fond of the spunky and kind-hearted yordling's companionship. Enjoying her lively enthusiasm and honoured to be such a core part of her early life. She had never expected the chance to pass on her knowledge and guide another towards her dreams the way she'd been able to with Tristana. It was an opportunity she was glad to have had.

Her smile turned soft. "Yeah, I know,"

The teen turned to her in curiousity, "So what are you doing here?"

Throwing her long, curly hair over her shoulder, Artemis answered honestly, "Checking out the new candidates. Judges wanted my input."

That caused Tristana to shift uncomfortably. "Artemis," she began, but the older yordle cut her off, already guessing the question based on the hesitant, accusing tone.

"Don't worry about it. I was brought in to give an experienced opinion but I have no say in who actually gets in. Besides, they already knew about my connection to you. My input won't have anything to do with whether you get in or not."

"Good," Tristana nodded resolutely. "If I get in, I want to do it by my own merits, not my connections."

Artemis gave a satisfied smile, "I wouldn't want it any other way. This job is important and dangerous. I refuse to put people in danger because of a personal relationship."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence and Tristana soon found herself playing with the hem of her shirt again.

"So, I know you don't know who's going to get through," she started nervously, "but how do _you_ think I did?"

Artemis sent her a knowing look. "Nervous?"

"You have no idea," Tristana's grin was lopsided.

"Don't be," the orange yordle told her. "You did spectacular. I have no doubt you'll get in."

"You think so?" the blue teen's question was unusually timid.

"Kid, I've been in this business for years. I know talent when I see it."

She was startled when the younger yordle gave her a fierce hug. "Thanks Artemis."

"No problem kiddo. You know if you ever need anything, you can always ask me," she returned the gesture with just as much warmth.

Tristana's smile faded as her conversation with Ziggs came to mind.

"Hey Artemis?" The redhead hummed a positive. "Have you heard anything about the missing Scout group?"

Artemis' face turned sombre. "Your friend was in that group, wasn't he?"

Tristana couldn't find it in her to answer verbally; instead she settled for a small nod.

The Mothership Scouts were an elite unit of the Bandle City military, just like the Megling Commandos. But whereas the Commandos (as Artemis so fondly put it) were the big guns – the ones you sent in to unwinnable situations and won – the Scouts were usually involved in covert operations and reconnaissance.

The method of entry was different too. If you wanted to be a Megling you had to climb through the ranks to get there. Sure, if you showed enough potential right out of school, you could be put on a fast track to become one (just like Tristana was aiming to do). But that was simply extra training on top of being a regular soldier first. The Megling Commandos were, at their core, still soldiers and normal battle training was required to build the fundamental skills and knowledge needed. In the end, what set the Commandos apart from the regular infantry was the unrivalled skill they could reach.

Scout's, on the other hand, required a lot more specialised training. As a result, their training and schooling were handled at a much younger age. And those that got in, only did so through recommendation.

At the end of their ninth year (due to his dad being a high-ranking Scout) Teemo had gotten an interview, and since he had shown enough potential and interest, he had been transferred into the training program. It had made it harder for the four friends to keep in contact but they had managed. Right up until he and the other recruits had gone on survival training in the Kumungu. It had only been meant to last a month. That was three months ago.

"No, I haven't," Artemis' answer was grim. "No one's heard anything from them. Nor has anything been found."

Tristana sighed as the heavy feeling returned. "You'll let me know if you do though. Right?"

"You have my word."

The blue girl managed a small smile, "Thanks Artemis."


	3. Long Day

**Author's note: Hey, sorry the chapter's a little late but my editor (aka my boyfriend) was a little slack this weekend :P. Hope you enjoy because I had a blast writing it!**

* * *

It was fairly late by the time Tristana made her way home but that didn't faze her in the slightest. Instead she bounced along the path in an elated, leisurely pace. She had made it in! All those years of sweat, tears and hard-work had finally paid off. And now she was well on the way to her dream. She couldn't wait to get home and tell her father!

A small, niggling voice in the back of her mind told her it was the other parental figure she had to worry about. But the blue girl was currently too happy to care. Her mother wasn't home till late tonight anyway. She would work out what to tell her later.

She was still humming the gunner ditty Artemis loved so much when she reached the gaudy mansion her family called a house. Tristana made her way around the side to the kitchen door, only to come to an abrupt stop half-way through at the sight of the prim, blue woman sitting at the table inside.

Keeping her eyes fixed ahead and walking as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself, the teen tried to get to through the kitchen without a word. However, luck wasn't on her side.

"Tristana," her mother's voice pulled her up short, one step from the kitchen door. "Where have you been? It's already getting dark. And what are you wearing?"

The blue girl glanced down at the exercise clothes she'd donned for the test before looking back at her mum.

"Where's dad?" she asked, hoping to divert the attention.

"Something happened with the Mothership and he had to go into work. I figured I'd come home early instead. Now don't change the subject."

With a sigh she turned to fully face the woman. "I was with friends," she answered vaguely.

Pearl, however, just narrowed her eyes. "Tristana Chevalier, do not lie to me. I called both of your friend's parents and they told me you weren't there."

"You called my friends!" Tristana shouted indignantly. "I'm sixteen, stop treating me like I'm five!"

"For your information, I called to tell you of the change in plans, since I figured you might like to know," was the frosty response. "And sixteen or not, you are still my daughter. I will treat you however I see fit."

"Fine, you want to know where I was," throwing caution to the wind, Tristana pushed on recklessly. "I was at the final exam for the Megling program. And you know what: I got in."

The air between mother and daughter froze as the uncomfortable silence stretched thin. On one side Tristana stood defiant, waiting for her mother's judgement; daring her to argue as she stood across from her opened mouthed.

Then, the blue woman's face hardened. Her mouth closed to form a thin line as her blue eyes narrowed into an expression identical to her daughter's (though neither would ever admit it).

"Are you telling me," she spoke in a forcibly calm manner, "that you lied to me and went behind my back – not once but multiple times – to apply for the violent and dangerous profession I explicitly forbade you from trying out for?"

The pale yordle eyes her mother carefully but she didn't back down. "And if I did?"

Pearl let out a long, aggravated breath through her nose, "Then I'd tell you to pull out. That there is no future in that line of work and that _my daughter_ is above that sort of thing."

"No."

"What did you say?" The words were forced out like shards of ice. Pearl drew herself up, standing as she did so. "Tristana this is insane. I know that others make it out to be some glorious duty, but it's not. Yordle's die doing that work. There are a slew of soldiers who are permanently injured, tortured or go insane from the things they go through. Don't you understand that?"

"Of course I do! Do you really think Artemis only told me the good parts of her job? I'm well aware of the darker side too."

"Artemis! This was her idea wasn't it," Pearl's expression closed off but before she could start on what a poor influence the warrior was, Tristana cut her off.

"You know that isn't true. It has always been my idea. I'm the one who's wanted to be a gunner long before I met her. In fact, Artemis was just as worried about me as you are. Why do you think she told me about the gorier details of her job? Because she wanted me to have a clear picture of what I would be signing myself up for. She wanted me to know all about the pain and the danger that came with all the glory and adventure. But when I still wanted to do this she _supported_ me. Why can't you?"

"Because I'm your mother and I know what's best for you."

With that, the blue woman turned and headed into the main area. However, Tristana was far from done with the conversation. Stomping after her, she yelled, "No you don't! You just want me to be like you. But guess what: I'm not! I'm my own person. I don't want to spend my life in fancy dresses and politics. I want risk and adventure! I want to do something worthwhile! Like protecting the people of this city while also being true to who _I am_. Or am I _above that_?"

Pearl rounded on the girl, finally losing her temper, "You think I don't do my job to try and better this city? There are thousands of jobs that you can go into to do that. But no! You just want to mindlessly pursue the one that'll get you killed!"

"You don't know that!"

"Yes I do! What do you really think happened to your friend? Do you honestly believe he's simply missing after all this time?"

"Don't you dare say that about Teemo! You don't know that he is!" Fury and pain filled the girl with a steely determination as she closed the final distance between them.

"But you don't know that he isn't. It's time to finally face reality and grow up Tristana!"

"Well maybe I would if you would stop treating me like a child. I'm old enough to make my own decisions!"

"You may be older but you still live under my roof. While you do, what I say goes. And I forbid you from being a soldier!"'

A brief flash of hurt crossed the teen's face before it hardened. "Then I'll leave."

Turning on her heel, she marched towards the door, ignoring the older yordle behind her.

Pearl gaped at her retreating back before she snapped. "Tristana, don't you dare go out that door!"

The girl's stride never even faltered.

"Don't be stupid Tristana. Tristana? Tristana! Tristana stop!" Desperation filled her mother's voice, causing Tristana's hands to shake as she opened the front door but she wouldn't stop now. She couldn't.

Without a word she slammed the door behind her. It didn't do anything to silence her mother's cries but it made them the only thing to follow the young yordle as she stormed off down the street.

She managed to make it several blocks before the anger fuelling her ran its course and she collapsed with a sob. Kneeling on the side of the road, she scrubbed at the tears but it did little good as more rapidly replaced the ones she'd futilely swiped away.

What was she going to do now? She couldn't go back home. Tristana's resolve strengthened; there was no way she was going back and standing down now. Not when she was so close to achieving her dreams.

But where was she going to go? She couldn't intrude on her friends (as much as she knew they wouldn't mind). Ziggs' parents had enough yordlings to look after and Rumble's family lived on the other side of the city to her school and training.

 _You know, if you ever need anything…_ Artemis' voice from earlier came to mind. And so, with a deep breath, Tristana rose; heading down the street with a new purpose. She ignored the tears still running down her face as she steadily kept walking.

 _One foot in front of the other,_ she told herself. It was the only thing she could manage at the moment.

* * *

He was running.

Around him the trees swayed and warped; reaching their dark, brittle limbs to catch at his fur and tear at his face as they tried to slow him down. Tried to stop him from running away.

Away.

Away…

Away from … he didn't remember.

Where was he running from? Where was he going? Where was he? Who was he? He didn't know.

He could feel the answers there; floating in the abyss of his mind. Swirling and colliding underneath the blanket of nothing covering his consciousness.

Smothering everything but the command to run.

Run.

Run…

…So he did.

Despite the aching in his muscles and the burning of his lungs. Despite the stinging cuts he vaguely recognised he had or even the deep, searing pain of his left arm screaming under the void in his mind. The limb hanging by his side; concealed by a blood-soaked rag he didn't remember wrapping.

He ran.

Ran.

Ran…

Despite the grief constricting his heart and the terror scratching at his mind.

The fear.

The anger.

The horror.

For something he couldn't even recall.

Couldn't recall.

 _Wouldn't_ recall.

Because recalling would require stopping. And he couldn't. Or else it would all catch up to him.

So he ran. Crashing through the undergrowth and past the tall trees with unseeing eyes.

Only to slip and crash to the unforgiving ground. The air abandoning his lungs and leaving him gasping for breath amoungst the dirt.

Frantically, he struggled to get to his feet. The urge to run screaming at him.

Only to stop – for it all to stop – at the sight before him. Staring at the well-hidden shack before him.

A shack he _remembered._

 _Home,_ his mind whispered. The word slicing through the hysterical clutter of his brain and bringing a peace with it.

Home? What was home?

Several figures came to mind. Blurry, indistinct figures. But familiar.

Bright.

Love.

Peace.

 _Home._

Yes. He needed to go home. That was where he was running. He remembered that now.

Home.

Home.

Home…

* * *

Artemis sighed, running a hand through her thick, red hair. Today had been a long day.

The gunner had been prepared for a busy day, the moment she'd been asked to help evaluate the new recruits. However, nothing could have prepared her for the emotional upheaval that had been her evening.

From the moment she had answered her door to find Tristana standing there, Artemis had known her whole evening had just been tipped into chaos. But that hadn't stopped her from ushering the girl in with a gentle hand. Nor had it stopped the surge of protective worry that swelled up as she had set the teen up on the couch, with a blanket and a cup of sweet tea while tears continued to stream down the girl's face.

Gradually, the normally bright yordle had managed to get out the confrontation with her mother between the sobs, causing a fiery anger the swell within the older yordle.

Artemis had known of course, that Tristana's mother wouldn't be happy with her getting in. And, in a small way, she agreed. The Megling Commandos line of work was not an easy one, nor a forgiving one. But at the same time, she knew just how much Trist wanted this. She also knew just how great a Megling Tristana would become if she continued with her dream. And maybe it was biased of her, but she couldn't help but feel proud to know that.

Artemis had found a kindred spirit in Tristana from the moment she'd met her and, as time went on, the caring, confident yordling had grown to become the younger sibling Artemis had always wanted. Someone she wanted to see grow into an incredible, young woman and a charismatic fighter.

Maybe that was why she hadn't hesitated to offer her place for the yordling to stay.

After gently talking her down and reassuring the pale, blue yordle that she was welcome to stay as long as she liked, the gunner had guided her to the spare room. Reassured that she was okay and didn't need anything, she had given the teen space before quietly calling her father to let her family know that she was safe.

The white-furred yordle had turned up a few hours later with a bag full of Tristana's stuff and a sad smile, staying long enough to give the honey-coloured woman his thanks before swiftly heading home to calm his wife. Artemis had given the bag to the still downcast girl, relieved to see a genuine smile at the note topping the pile.

Then she had retreated to the main room with an exhausted sigh and collapsed on the couch. There she stayed, trying to unwind from the tiresome day only for an urgent knock to sound on her door. With a groan, she flipped her mass of curls out of her face as she slowly made her way towards it.

The knocking continued at its breakneck pace, prompting her to call out, "I'm coming! Don't break my door down!"

Finally, she threw open the door, but her glare dissolved at the sight of her deputy's expression. The mix of fear, hope and sadness causing her own stomach to bottom out.

"What happened?" she asked before the soldier could get a word in. Somehow, she knew that her night had only just started.

* * *

 **Ah! I've waited so long to post write this :D! I've had the fight between Tristana and her mum planned from the beginning and it's so satisfying to see it finally posted. If anyone wants to know, I have a couple of specific songs for the characters and 'Second Chance' by Shinedown is the one that fits Tristana in this chapter (at least in my head).**

 **Hope you enjoyed it! And I hope this makes up for last chapter being a little on the filler side.**


	4. Holding On

**Author's Note: Hey sorry this is a little late. Easter ended up being busier than expected. Hope you guys all enjoyed the long weekend/break :)**

* * *

For once in his life Rumble could honestly say he was kinda, maybe, a little bit looking forward to being at school. Not because anything had changed since yesterday. He was still going to have to deal with antagonistic peers who sneered at him in the hallways and whispered about him behind his back. He was still going to have to deal with the disapproving looks his teachers sent him down their noses as they told him what a waste of potential he was and that his attitude was going to stop him from doing something great. He was still going to have to sit through classes so boring and easy it was almost enough to drive him to tears (not that he was the sort to cry).

However, today he _would_ find out how Tristana had gone with the recruitment trial. Tristana: his first friend. One of the handful of yordles he could say he cared about. The one who'd dreamed of becoming a Megling since they were little and would finally find out if she'd made it in. Seeing her on the verge of achieving her dream made him incredibly happy, for there was no one better he could think of to reach their goal.

Still, he would be lying if he said it didn't sadden a part of him. Because deep down, it was also a reminder that their time together was coming to an end. Rumble would be the first to admit that he held no fondness for school, but as it came closer and closer to graduation a surprisingly large part of him couldn't help but wish they could go back to their younger years together.

Yes, he and Ziggs would be going to college together. And it wasn't like they'd be moving to another city. Plus, Teemo had proven that they could continue to stay in contact just fine (well, at least until he'd disappeared). But, he realised with some sadness, it just wouldn't be the same.

As per usual, the blue teen arrived to school just minutes before classes started. Only to blink in surprise at who he saw – or more aptly, who he didn't see.

"Hey Rumble," Ziggs greeted him with a tense smile as his eyes continued to scan the crowd of students. "You didn't happen to see Trist on your way here did you?"

"She isn't here yet?"

Worry immediately churned to life as Ziggs shook his head. Tristana was _never_ late to class.

The expression etched on his friend's face told him he felt the same way as he nervously started rambling. "Do you think she didn't get in to the Meglings and didn't come in because she'd devastated? No. There's no way she didn't get in. She's way too good. She not the sort to sulk either, not even over something like that. Maybe she had a fight with her ma about it and now she's grounded! Nah, her mother's not _that_ bad. And she'd still force her to go to school regardless. But what if she got injured! I know it was only training but-"

Rumble sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as Ziggs paced before him. On his next pass, the shorter yordle reached out and caught the back of his shirt.

"Stop it," he groused, "you're making me nervous. Look. I'm sure she's fine. Trist can take care of herself better than either of us. I'm sure she's…" he trailed off at the sight of the familiar blue figure rapidly heading towards them, "running right for us."

Ziggs beamed, worry falling away from him as he immediately began to wave the girl down. However, the unease didn't leave Rumble. Something about their friend's posture kept him on guard. Something wasn't right.

She reached them within seconds, cutting their instant questions off with one sentence. "They've found Teemo."

The two boys exchanged a single shocked glance, before all three took off towards the hospital.

* * *

Nina swiftly made her way to the front desk. The admin had called her for help but she'd been too distracted to ask why. As her heart continued to flutter and her stomach twisted she couldn't help but hope that whatever it was would require focus. She could use the distraction to get a hold of her nerves.

She heard the commotion before she saw it, rounding the corner to see the three overly-energetic yordlings hounding the frazzled secretary. She shot the peach yordle a pleading look over their heads, begging her to do something.

Nina sighed. "You three should know better than to treat someone like that," she reprimanded the familiar teens, causing them to freeze. Then, as one, they turned and ambushed her.

"Nina! Is he okay?!"

"What happened? How bad is it? You can tell us Mrs Swiftfoot!"

"Why can't we see him? He's our friend! But they won't let us in!"

"Calm down!" The nurse had to raise her voice; not out of anger (the concern mirrored in them for her son made it impossible to be mad) but simply to be heard over the racket they were making. They quietened at her words, but their expressions stayed determined. With a sigh, she asked gently, "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"We wanted to know if he was okay," Tristana spoke up. "We haven't been told anything! Is he alright?"

Nina placed a hand on her shoulder when she looked to start ranting again. "I don't know," she admitted. "Physically, he's stable now. But we won't know the extent of the damage until he wakes up."

"Can we stay with him?" Ziggs asked, sending the nurse a hopeful smile.

The pale yordle felt her heart constrict as she shook her head. "He's in quarantine at the moment. Even I'm not allowed in. There's nothing we can do right now but wait and hope."

"Then we'll wait here." The other two nodded resolutely at Rumble's statement causing Nina to sigh again.

"You can't stay here the whole time. You need to go to school."

"But-" she cut them off with a gentle hand and a steady voice. "Look, I know you're worried. But the truth is, we don't know when he'll wake up. It could be days – weeks even. You can't spend that entire time here. It's not good for you. So please, go to school."

Three downcast heads nodded to her, causing her to relent a little. "Tell you what," she promised. "As soon as he wakes up, I'll let you know. Then you can drop everything to see him. Deal?"

That perked them up. "Thanks Nina!"

The other's started off, however Rumble paused and turned back to her. Hesitation was written on his face before he asked softly. "Um, are you doing alright…with everything?"

She gave him a small but genuine smile. "Better than before. Now go."

* * *

Miles gazed down at the still form of his son with an unreadable expression.

The unconscious yordle seemed even paler than normal up against the bright, white sheets as well as unusually fragile with all the surrounding equipment. A drip ran up his right arm to combat the malnourishment and blood loss he'd suffered while away; opposing the neatly bandaged left one. The wrapped wound had been severe but thankfully it had not been inflected. Unlike the one on his leg. Between that and the blood loss it was a wonder he'd made it back at all. But now, with the right support, he was expected to pull through fine. Physically at least. That however, was not Mile's biggest concern.

It was the unknown factors that worried him. His mental well-being for one. Three months away after a traumatic event was very likely to cause some level of mental instability in a yordle. How much would vary greatly depending on how long he'd been alone and what had gone down. But until he woke up the extent of the damage could not be known.

There were also some conflicting factors concerning the scout. The wound on his son's leg, though inflamed, could not hide the uneven consistency and long puncture marks of a bite wound. However, the one on his arm was smooth. The skin and fur had been sheered cleanly from the muscle in a hasty but definitely weaponised cut.

Then there was the missing yordles themselves; a group that had consisted of one veteran scout and three regular scouts leading six recruits _as well as_ the ten yordle squad led but another veteran commander. Yes, the Kumungu was dangerous. But to the point that a group of that size and calibre would be taken down to a single recruit? No, something out of the ordinary had taken them out, of that he was certain. Which meant that right now, they couldn't rule anything out. Not even when it concerned his son. Especially when it concerned his son.

Miles turned to the doctor. "Keep him in quarantine. I'll be contacting a field medic to take care of him until he wakes up. When he does, contact me immediately."

The doctor looked at him in surprise, "You really think it's that bad?"

Miles turned back to the boy, a hand finally coming down to stroke his hair. In the back of his mind a long-buried memory pushed itself forward but he dismissed it. "I don't know," he said softly. "But we can't risk anymore lives."

* * *

To say that the rest of the school day had been the most unbearably long day in their lives would be an understatement. Every class the trio of friends had been distracted and restless; sticking close to each other and responding sluggishly to peers and teachers alike. Mr Dean had raised an eyebrow when they had arrived late and Tristana didn't even try to contest the detention they were given. Miss Springhall had watched in surprise all through lunch as Rumble didn't get into a single fight. But it was when Ziggs almost blew up the science labs (again) as he automatically poured chemicals together with unseeing eyes, that Mrs Grunbean decided to send the three teens home early.

As afternoon turned into evening and evening into night without the anxious nerves relenting, Rumble finally found himself fed up. Without much further thought, he got up and headed out, letting his feet wander him unthinkingly until he came to the park near his and Ziggs' workshop.

Though fairly far from home, the steel-blue yordle often found himself here; something about the dark, peaceful foliage always calmed him down.

The night was clear and soon he found himself lying on one of the grassy hills just staring at the stars as his mind churned with heavy thoughts.

Prominent amoungst them was Teemo: his condition and the mystery surrounding what had happened creating waves of new worry. Sure, the relief caused by his find was immense. The gnawing unknown that had plagued them now gone with the knowledge that he was alive. But that dread had been replaced with new, equally valid fears. Was he alright? What had happened? Where were the others? How bad was the damage? When would he wake up? Would he even wake up at all? And if he did would he ever be the same again?

A movement to his left caused him to instinctively glance over. Almost immediately he sat up in surprise at the sight of the blue girl leisurely striding towards him. She gave him a small smile as she sat down next to him. "Couldn't sleep either?"

He shook his head and the two of them lapsed into silence just staring at the giant expanse of space above.

Watching the quiet girl from the corner of his eye, Rumble finally spoke up, "I'm surprised your mother let you out this late."

"She doesn't know I'm here," was the almost inaudible reply. "Kind of hard to keep track of someone once you've kicked them out of the house."

He turned towards her startled but Tristana didn't meet his eyes. She continued to stare at the sky but her eyes were much further away as she continued, "I've been living with Artemis since the Megling exam – which I passed by the way. In case you were wondering."

She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears.

Immediately, the shorter boy pulled her into a hug. Surrounded by the warmth and unconditional care of her friend she could no longer hold back. A sob racked through her before the damn broke and she wept uncontrollably into his shoulder.

Rumble felt his heart constrict at the sight. Tristana was one of the brightest, kindest and most confident yordles he'd ever met. Always caring for those around her. Always driving forward regardless of whatever tried to stop her. Always sticking by them even when it would have made her life easier just to leave them be. Without this amazing girl, Rumble never would have made friends with Ziggs and Teemo. Without her stepping in for him all those years ago, he didn't know what would have happened to him. And for that, he owed her more than she would ever know.

Which was why it hurt him so much to see her so broken and so lost. Rumble would do _anything_ to see her happy.

"It's so stupid," she choked out. "But I expected to be happier to get in. Instead I got into a fight with my mother and got kicked out. Then Teemo turned up after being missing for three months only he's unconscious and injured and I'm so worried about him. And it's just… not what I expected."

Rumble didn't know what to say. He'd never been that great with words. Sure, he could cut someone to ribbons with them, but when it came to comforting others, he became a fumbling mess. He didn't know what to say to make her feel better, so instead he just hugged her tighter.

Eventually her cries subsided, though tears still trailed down her face. "You know," she said quietly, "sometimes I'm really jealous of you."

He pulled back in surprise. "You're jealous of me?" his voice was thick with incredibility.

Tristana nodded, her hands absently pulling out strands of grass. "Of your family. They love you _so much_. Always encouraging you no matter what you choose to do. I wish mine were more like that."

He stared at her, watching the way the moonlight caught the tears in her eyes and how she pushed her hair out of her face as he tried to take in her words. Then, he turned away with a sigh.

"You have nothing to be jealous of," he said softly. "You're an amazing, talented and caring person Trist. Everyone knows that. Me, Ziggs, Artemis, your pa. We all know you'll do amazing things in the Meglings. And one day, your ma will see that too. Plus, you know you'll always be welcome at mine – or Ziggs' place of you want to risk it."

The blue girl gave a short laugh at that before a frown tugged it down again, "What about Teemo?"

Worry rushed back up and seized his insides before he pushed it back down, "Teemo's a fighter just like the rest of us. He'll pull through. I know it."

A smile finally lit up the girl's face as she slung an arm around his shoulders. "Thanks Rumble. You're a great friend."

A cold ache settled in his chest but he pulled up a smile regardless. "Not as good as you are."

* * *

 **Ahh! I love these characters so much :D. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. And Teemo's officially made it back *evil grin*. Who's excited for the upcoming chapters? I know I am.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Candlestic**


	5. Not Quite Right

**Author's Note: I was really worried I wouldn't be able to get this up on time as I've been super busy irl. But I did, and I'm super excited for this chapter :).**

* * *

 _The jungle was quiet – serene almost. Giving the illusion that no danger had ever existed amongst its diverse foliage. Overhead the birds flitted and chirped as the soft sound of running water filled the clearing and the golden light of the sun filtered through the trees. But that did not put the young yordle at ease. Stopping under the cover of the trees, he warily eyed his silent surroundings for danger before limping towards the river._

 _In his right hand he clutched his dart-gun, ready to use it at a moment's notice. His left dangled uselessly by his side; blood running in rivers down the appendage and obscuring the damage from sight. It was the reason he had stopped. The reason he had needed to stop._

 _Satisfied he was at least somewhat safe, he diverted his attention to washing out the wound. He allowed the task to consume his mind. Every minute detail hyper-focused on as he carefully washed out the exposed flesh. Because if all his attention was on cleaning away the blood, then he wouldn't have any to spare on what had happened._

 _Methodically he worked, cleaning out the excess muck before wrapping it tightly in his ruined shirt._

 _His ears flicked at the rustling of a nearby bush and he immediately turned with his weapon at the ready._

" _Woah, easy there," shouted a heavily-accented voice._

 _The yordle stilled, staring in surprise at the strange being before him. The fat cat-like creature just grinned back at him. They wore a sewn together waistcoat and sophisticated top-hat that contrasted sharply with their eerie, yellow eyes and wide, toothy smile._

" _Pardon the affright," the stranger tipped their hat. "But it was my perception that you could use some assistance."_

 _The accent reminded the yordle of many of the sailors found at the city's port (though he had never heard one use such eloquent language before). Still, he did not lower his weapon. "I don't want any help."_

 _The stranger's grin widened. "Come now. You expect me to believe that you have no desire to alter your recent calamity?"_

 _The blow-gun lowered. "Nothing can change the past. I deserve my fate."_

 _He turned away. He didn't want to think about what had happened, let alone talk about it. The sudden need to move surged through him. To where he didn't know. He just knew he couldn't stay here any longer._

 _As he took off, however, the stranger's voice followed him. "You'd leave the others to their fate?"_

 _He broke into a run, but the voice kept up; the wide grin glinting through the trees as he raced through the undergrowth._

" _Are you really that selfish? Condemning the rest because you think you deserve it."_

 _It was wrong. Their fates were already sealed. Nothing could change that. Never could he forget what had happened to them._

" _Stop it," he sobbed, running faster. He wanted to go home. He didn't want to think about what had happened to them._

" _Only a killer would be so heartless."_

" _Go away!" his cry was desperate – directed at both the voice and himself._

 _He just wanted to forget._

* * *

 _He stared wide-eyed at the wild scenery around him. In many ways it was similar to the forests inside the Sablestone Mountains. Still thick, lush greenery in every direction. Still the quiet hush over everything except for the birdcalls and the occasional rustle of moving creatures. But it was so different too. The air felt charged and exciting. New, colourful plants grew around them, while much larger, unseen beasts lurked just out of sight._

 _Next to him, Milli gazed around with a cautious wonder. In front of them, Davis ploughed ahead enthusiastically before almost colliding with their commander as he came to a stop._

 _The grisly, old scout turned to the cluster of recruits with a serious expression. "From this point on you will obey every command myself or my Lieutenants give without question. You've all proven yourself to be talented scouts, but this place is beyond anything you've ever experienced before. There's a reason this area is off limits to everyone but the military and approved caravans and expeditions. The dangers here are unlike anything anywhere else in Valoran. Only a few can survive in its environment. Welcome to the Kumungu Jungle yordles. Let's hope it's a good learning experience."_

* * *

 _He yelped as a dark-grey shape with gleaming teeth snapped onto his leg, pulling him down and towards the massive creature. Terror filled him but before he could do anything, there was a loud crack. It yelped and he found himself hauled backwards and to his feet._

" _Keep running soldier!" He looked up to see Roxanne, her face tight as she dragged him along just behind the others._

 _Pain jolted through his leg every time he put weight on it but he couldn't slow down as they twisted and turned through the undergrowth._

Just a little bit further, _he told himself. A little bit further and they'd be ok. The mountain path through Sablestone was just up ahead. If they could get through that then they'd have a chance._

 _Rocky cliffs soon came into view through the foliage and he felt a rush of relief. Only for it to plunge to the soles of his feet as they came to an abrupt halt. The yordles stared in horror at the recent landslide blocking their path. Those nearest the mountain frantically started searching the steep walls surrounding them with a growing sense of dread._

" _Sir! What do we do? We're trapped!" Roxanne pivoted to Commander Rodney._

 _His expression darkened as he pulled a pair of dual blades from his back. He turned to stand alone in the entrance (now their only exit) as howls rang out nearby. "Not on my watch we're not," he responded grimly._

* * *

He slowly opened his eyes, only to close them against the bright light.

Where was he?

Curious, he squinted; slowly allowing his eyes to accumulate to the light. His ears shifted but the only sound to reach him was a periodic beeping. Wherever he was, he was alone.

A sharp, clean smell filled his nose; bringing with it a strange sense of familiarity. Unbidden, a blur of images came to mind. A smaller version of himself trailing along after a peach-coloured yordle down a clean, white hallway. Himself and another yordling sitting at a table in a room filled with the smell of coffee and antiseptic as several yordles bustled by with brief waves.

Oh, he was in the hospital.

Wait. Why was he in the hospital?

As his eyes adjusted, he was able to look around. Almost immediately, he noticed the bandage up his arm and the drip in the other.

Ah, that's why.

His musing were broken when a nurse walked through the door. She paused in surprise before quickly recovering.

"You're awake," she smiled, walking up to the side of the bed and pressing a button. Then she turned to him. "I'll need to check your vitals."

"Of course," he said placidly. From what little he had seen of his injuries, the cream yordle already knew his stay here was likely to be long. Long enough to wait until after the nurse had done her job to ask what had happened.

She worked in silence, efficiently getting most of his stats down before she asked softly, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine," Teemo answered. "Though I suppose that's because of the pain medication more than anything else," he added jokingly as he watched her check his arm.

"That's what they're supposed to do," the nurse gave him a short smile, quickly writing something on the chart before turning back to him. "But that's physically. How are you doing emotionally?"

"Fine I guess."

"Are you sure?" The nurse asked concerned. "It's okay if you're not."

He gave her a confused look but before he could answer the door opened again.

"Dad!" he beamed as the familiar chocolate-brown yordle entered.

The older man returned his smile, relief evident in his eyes as he came to sit next to the pale teen.

"You're awake."

"So I've been told," he grinned, before his attention was once again drawn to his arm. "How long have I been unconscious?"

Miles sighed. "It's been two days since we found you at the edge of the forest."

That caught the yordle by surprise. He looked up startled, "I was attacked? Here?"

His dad exchanged a look with the nurse. "That's what we were hoping you could tell us. You don't remember?"

Teemo shook his head, a frown creasing his features as he tried to remember what could have caused him to end up in the hospital. Instead all he drew was a sense of unease. "I… the last thing I remember was having dinner at Brandy's with you."

"Teemo," the boy felt his eyes being drawn up at the gravity of his father's voice, "that was three months ago. You went on a mission with the other recruits to the Kumungu and no one else has returned."

The pale yordle felt his stomach lurch as frightening feelings clawed at the back of his mind. Then, just as quickly, he felt himself involuntarily shove them away. "Oh ok."

Surprise returned to the nurse's face while Miles frowned. "You're not concerned?"

He received a look of confusion, "About what?"

The older scout stared hard at his son. Despite the years, Miles had always been able to tell when his boys were lying. But try as he might, he could see no deception in Teemo's face.

Unease stirred in the old yordle but he didn't let it show. "Don't worry," he said instead. "We'll talk about it later."

* * *

"Teemo!" Tristana's voice rang out. The late afternoon sun highlighting her and the two boys just behind as they practically exploded into the teen's room.

He smiled fondly, "You guys didn't need to come see me."

"Well duh, we were going to come visit. We were worried." Tristana grinned as she sat on the end of his bed.

"Are you okay?" Rumble asked before Ziggs pushed eagerly in front of him.

"Did you see Kindred?"

Teemo shook his head, "Not that I'm aware of. And I'm fine. Honestly, I mostly feel restless being stuck in here."

Rumble snorted, "You might want to get used to that feeling. They're probably not going to let you out for ages."

The pale yordle rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know."

"So, what happened?" Now that the three friends were situated comfortably, the blue girl asked what all of them had been wondering. "How come you disappeared for three months? And what happened to the others?"

Teemo blinked as he was once again reminded of just how much time he was missing. "Oh right, three months," he mumbled. "I still can't believe it's been that long. What's the date again?"

"It's the sixth of June."

"The sixth?" His head shot up. "Don't you guys graduate on the eighteenth? That's less than two weeks away!"

The other three exchanged looks. "Ah yeah," Ziggs spoke up. "We do. But right now we're more worried about-"

"And Trist!" The teen turned his excited eyes to his friend. "You would have found out about the Megling's course by now, right? How'd you go?"

The girl gave him a confused look as she answered automatically. "I got in."

Teemo didn't seem to notice her hesitant tone. "That's great! I always knew you could do it!"

"Dude," Rumble cut him off, looking between the teen in the hospital bed and his confused friends, "don't you care about the fact that you've been gone for _three months_. Or the fact that your troop is _still missing_."

Teemo blinked at him slowly. "I don't…" panic welled up within him but for the life of him he had no idea why, "…understand."

He shifted self-consciously under their incredulous looks. "What are you talking about?"

"Teemo," Tristana felt a sinking feeling in her gut as she realised there was something was not quite right with their friend, "are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he answered automatically, his gaze gravitating to his injured arm.

"Well you don't look it."

The teen's head came up to glare at Rumble upon hearing his mumbled comment. "Excuse me?" his voice had a hard edge to it.

However, Rumble had never been one to back down from a threat. Meeting the scout's glare with steely determination he pushed on, "You heard me. You disappear for months and then when you finally get back the first thing you ask about is school?"

"So I'm not allowed to be interested in your lives because I'm in the hospital?" Teemo had no idea why this line of questioning was making him so angry and defensive but it was.

"Not if you're using it as a way to dodge our questions," the rusty-blue teen countered, getting up into the other's space. "You disappeared! Do you have any idea how worried we were about you? And now you just want us to pretend like it didn't happen? We thought you were dead!"

"I…" Teemo's flight or fight instincts were screaming at him. Telling him he needed to run. Needed to fight back. Needed to do anything to escape this situation. The feelings coming so strong they overran his thoughts. He couldn't think straight. Couldn't articulate any come-back.

"Enough!" Tristana pushed Rumble back. At her glare, the volatile boy relented, allowing the female to turn back to Teemo. In a gentle but pleading tone she spoke, "Look. I don't know why you don't want to talk about it. But it's obviously affecting you. So please, let us help you. You know we've always been there when you needed us. Don't shut us out now. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the scout's reply was forced and guarded.

"Teemo please," Tristana moved closer, touching his wrist.

"Don't touch me!" The pale yordle lashed out, claws catching on the girl's cheek and leaving a deep scratch behind.

Tristana pulled back, hand automatically going up to the bleeding cut as hurt and disbelief filled her features. Across from her, Rumble's eyes narrowed and he started forward, only for Ziggs to catch his arm. The quiet yordle took the glare directed at him with a quick shake of his head. Then, he motioned to their hurt friend causing Rumble to stall in surprise.

"What?" Teemo asked, touching the tears flowing down his cheeks in confusion. "Why am I-? I don't-" his incoherent words ended in a sharp sob as the tears flowed faster.

Tristana hesitated for only a second before her expression hardened. In a flash she pulled the boy into a tight hug as he continued to cry uncontrollably.

Behind them, Ziggs and Rumble exchanged a worried glance before moving closer.

With each ragged breath and escaping tear, Teemo felt an unknown weight on his soul being chipped away. The blind panic and tumultuous emotions in his mind slowly receding so when the tears finally stopped, he was left numb and clearer-headed than he had been since he'd woken up. His breathing began to even out but Teemo didn't pull away. Instead he stared over his friend's shoulder with hollow eyes.

"They're all gone. Aren't they?"

"You don't know?" Ziggs asked before he could stop himself, earning a glare from Tristana.

The pale yordle didn't notice as he slowly shook his head. "I don't remember anything," he said quietly, a slight edge of panic in his voice.

With a sigh, Rumble relented. "They could be alright."

However, Teemo just shook his head. "I don't think so. Whenever I think about them I get this heavy ache in my chest. I don't think… I don't think anyone else is coming back." His voice broke a little at the end prompting a tighter squeeze from Tristana.

"You still have us," she told him.

"Thank you," he whispered, pulling back with a shuddering breath. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys."

With an exaggerated hand wave, Ziggs brought his hands up to his face. "Stop. You're going to make me blush."

For some reason, the action caused the pale yordle to break into hysterical laughter. An uncontrollable sound that gently lifted the last of the heaviness from his chest. Still grinning he quibbled, "We wouldn't want that."

Letting out a long breath, the teen turned to Tristana, ready to ask her more about her placement. "So Trist-oh!" Contentedness quickly turned into concern as he peered closely at her face. "What happened to your cheek?" So concerned he was with his friend, he never noticed the shocked looks Ziggs and Rumble sent each other.

With a neutral expression, Tristana lifted a hand to the scratch before she forced a grin. "Must've happened when I was training. You know how focused I can get."

He shook his head, "You really need to take better care of yourself."

"I'll try."

* * *

 **Sorry for responding so late to everyone's comments last chapter. Like I said, life's been pretty hectic right now. But it's slowing down so I should be on time for next chapter :).**


	6. Unhealed Hurts

**Author's Note: I'm pretty excited about this chapter :). Things are starting to speed up.**

* * *

" _Sir," Roxanne turned to their Commander, "This place checks out."_

 _The veteran scout nodded, "Good. We'll camp here tonight."_

 _Next to him, Davis fidgeted before finally asking what had been on his mind for the past few days. "Sir, why are we setting up so early? We still have several hours of daylight left. Wouldn't we make better time doing so later?"_

 _Commander Rodney regarded him with an unreadable expression. "Davis right?"_

 _The red-furred boy nodded, shuffling a little under the intense gaze._

" _You make a good point. In many situations speed is a top priority. It's why we set up camp later when we're inside the mountain range. But can you tell me what's more important than speed in this situation?"_

 _Milli hesitantly raised her hand, "Safety sir?"_

 _The Commander nodded, "Safety and preparation. Knowing what you're up against so you know how to avoid it, as well as when to take calculated risks. The Kumungu jungle is unpredictable and dangerous at the best of times. Do you really want to add to that by reducing your own senses when the deadlier predators are active?"_

 _His sharp eyes watched the recruits carefully as his words sunk in. Satisfied, he continued, "In our line of work, information is the most valuable tool you can utilise. And if you can't gain knowledge in advance, you take things slow. We're not like the normal troops or the Commandos, whose job is to strike fast in a predictable situation or a known territory. Our job usually takes us into uncharted territory or behind enemy lines – situations without backup or a clear way out. A scout who rushes in that scenario is usually a dead scout."_

 _The younger yordles shifted a little under their Commander's words. Things they'd been told but until now – in this situation – hadn't fully hit them._

" _Which brings up the next important lesson: knowing when to fight, run or hide. If you've retained anything from the past two years of training you should know that for scouts, fighting is generally a last resort. You should only go for a fight if you know you can't lose or if you have no other option left. Similarly, you should know that running is not without its own risks. If you plan to run you should know where you're running to, how to get there – including alternate routes – and if you can outrun your opponent. Without this information, it is too easy for your enemy to cut you off or for you to get lost on enemy ground. That goes for here too. It's why we've made sure you all know your way both to the other scout's camp as well as back to the Sablestone pass. However, there is also one more option you all have that has not been covered yet – hiding."_

 _As Davis opened his mouth to argue, Commander Rodney held up a hand. "Yes, I know you've been taught about how to blend in to avoid suspicion and how to escape notice if you are in trouble. But as yordles, we also have another unique advantage when hiding over other species. One that Thomas Fleetfoot discovered and passed on to the Mothership Scouts. One of our most valuable secrets. How to be overlooked in plain sight. Observe."_

 _The recruits looked on in confusion as their Commander simply stopped moving. The seconds elongating as nothing happened. Nearby, the three lieutenants shot each other humorous looks as the old scout patiently stood still. Bewildered and bored, a few of the yordlings started to look away, only to look back when gasps came from the others; turning back to see – nothing._

 _They all gaped at the spot for a few moments before the grisly, old yordle moved (the air seemingly shimmering slightly) and the illusion was broken._

" _How is that possible?" Teemo asked in awe._

" _No one knows," Roxanne answered for the Commander. "It's been lost to history."_

" _But it's one of the tricks we plan on teaching you all while here," Commander Rodney added before getting back on task. "Now! Enough chit-chat. We're losing daylight. Arin and Teemo, you'll go with Darren to collect firewood. Davis and Milli, you're on tent duty. Cooking shall be done by…"_

 _The Commander's voice trailed off as Teemo and Arin followed the good-natured lieutenant away from the others._

 _Their progress was slow. Not only were they frequently stopping to gather the dead wood, but they were also stilled to ensure they wouldn't run into any of the numerous (and seemingly insignificant) dangers the Kumungu held. Once more, Darren held out his arm, stopping the cream-coloured male and dark, green female in their tracks._

 _When he was sure he had their full attention, the scout gestured to their path. "See those red berries on that bush right here. Those are Reju berries. You can tell due to the broad, flat leaves and the thorns. Reju berries are used in a lot of the human cities to make health potions. They're not as effective raw, but if you're ever in a pinch and need energy, a couple of these will keep you going for a few days. Make sure you eat them spread out however, because the more you have in your system at one time, the less effective they'll be."_

 _The short-eared yordle waited for the recruits to nod before pointing a little to the left of the Reju bushes at some brightly-coloured, squat mushrooms well hidden in the long grass._

" _Those are Rumpo Shrooms. Also known as Noxious Traps or Purple Death. Be very careful around them. They're poisonous to the touch. Worse, they have a violent defence mechanism when disturbed that propels a cloud of toxic gas away from themselves. This vapour slows the heart and neural system and if you inhale too much it can kill you. The easiest way to spot them is their distinctive purple spots. It will take a bit of practise, so until then it's best to go slow."_

 _Another set of nods and they were moving again, giving the Rumpo Shrooms a wide berth._

 _Not far from there, Darren stopped them again. Teemo and Arin paused, expecting another analysis of their scenery but they tensed when he stayed on alert before pulling out his weapon. The two recruits strained to hear anything, but they didn't know the sounds of the jungle well enough to pick something out of the ordinary._

 _Suddenly, the brown scout's ear twitched and he threw himself at the two recruits, pushing them out of the way just as a large beast landed where they had just been. Teemo gaped at the creature: a massive but wiry frame covered in grey scales that stood as tall as them on four legs. It growled at the loss of its prey, teeth gleaming it the low light before – with a dexterity underestimated by its size – it sprung for them again._

 _Darren moved quicker, darting into its path and swiping at its eyes, causing it to pull back._

" _Run!" he shouted. "Warn the others!"_

 _Arin hesitated but Teemo simply pulled her along as he turned to dash back to the group. He'd seen how little damage the lieutenant's swipe had done to the creature. Neither his nor Arin's weapon would be of any use in the fight. And if they all fell, there would be no one to tell the camp what had occurred._

 _Seeing the two yordlings fleeing, the creature tried to go after them but Darren blocked the way. Frustrated, it pulled its head back and let out a long, chilling howl. But what was worse were the answering ones._

 _Teemo's mind raced at the sounds of rapidly approaching treads behind them. What were they going to do?_

 _Arin voiced his concerns. "We're never going to outrun them. What do we do?" the green yordle gasped as she kept pace just behind him._

 _The pale yordle racked his brains for an idea. They weren't that far from the camp, so they wouldn't have to slow the creatures down for long. But it was still necessary for them to get there. What had Commander Rodney said about running? Always have a route in mind; one that took into account being pursued._

 _Suddenly, an idea sprang to mind._

" _Come on!" he swerved slightly off course. Unquestioningly, Arin followed him. He kept his eyes focused on the ground in front of them, searching for what he knew would be in their path._ _While not a yordle's strongest sense, the dim light from the trees should be enough to spot them._

 _There! A flash of purple._

" _Jump!" He shouted. The green female reacted quickly to his directions and the two sailed over the patch of mushrooms before racing as fast as they could away from the spot._

 _A few seconds later, there was an explosion of green and purple gas along with a chorus of whines._

 _Teemo let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Hopefully that would buy them enough time._

* * *

The pale yordle bolted awake, panic consuming him as he frantically looked around the unfamiliar room. His eyes swung across the clean, white space before landing on the equipment by his bed. Almost immediately his breathing began to slow as he remembered where he was.

He took in long, deep breaths as his mind returned to the dream, or at least, the last vestiges of sheer panic he'd felt upon waking. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anything else from it.

He let out a sigh of frustration. Another morning, another nightmare he couldn't recall. However, before he could dwell on it too much, the door opened and a peach-coloured yordle walked in.

"Mum," his face lit up.

Nina returned his smile with just as much care. "Hello Teemo," she said softly, as she sat down by his bed. "You seem to be doing a lot better."

It was true. His fever had broken and his leg was healing nicely. His arm would take a lot longer to heal so he was still on pain killers for that, but at least they were no longer being fed to him via a drip. Both it and the heart monitor had also been removed recently. While they were still checking his vitals regularly, there was nothing physically keeping him in the hospital.

He gave her a soft smile, "I'm feeling a lot better too. So much so that if they keep me in here for much longer I might start driving the nurses crazy – either that or my friends will."

The peach-coloured nurse laughed. A glimmer of humour in her eyes as she responded seriously, "I'll have to warn them then."

Looking at the woman who'd raised him, Teemo felt his heart swell with warmth. Acting impulsively, he pulled her into a hug. "I've missed you mum."

"I've missed you too." Her words were light but as he pulled back he could see a tiredness in her eyes and a tightness in her smile that said his disappearance had caused her more pain than she was letting on.

The teen took her hand, pulling her eyes towards his. "I'm okay. I promise."

Nina gave a small laugh. "I always forget how good you are at reading people," she said. "Maybe it's selfish of me but I'm glad you're the one that's alright. You're the last one I have to take care of. I guess I didn't realise I wasn't ready to let go of you yet. Please, if you need anything: promise me you'll be willing to come to me?"

He nodded, "I promise mum."

* * *

His mum couldn't stay for long, needing to get back to work. But she had promised to come visit him later. After that, Teemo was left to his own thoughts. His musings only broken every now and then by the nurse coming to check on him.

It was early afternoon when his next visitor came calling. The young yordle looked one from the book he was reading in confusion as the door opened. Who could it be? The nurse had just left and it was too early for his friends to arrive.

However, the perplexity gave way to happiness as his dad poked his head in. The pale teen gave him a brief smile in greeting before his focus drifted down to his arm. He shifted his fingers, feeling the dulled sensation of the skin against the bandage. "I can't remember anything that happened," he confided softly. "I've tried. I've tried _so much_ but there's just – nothing."

Miles sat in the chair beside the bed. "It's not unheard of for soldiers to block traumatic memories in order to get over them," he explained gently. "They may return or they may not but the important thing is you're acknowledging it now. Even if you don't remember you're still grieving and moving on from it."

"Yeah," Teemo gave a wry smile. "My friends knocked some sense into me."

"So I've heard. Not the way I'd go about it. But effective in this case I guess."

"Does that mean you'll let me leave the hospital now?"

The dark-furred scout gave him a deadpan look. "You noticed that huh?"

Teemo nodded. "Not at first," he admitted. "It was only after I started thinking about what had happened and how long I'd been here that I started putting it together."

Miles let out a long breath, his thoughts flashing involuntarily to old faces and repressed hurts.

"It was a safety precaution. Until we could figure out whether you had slipped or not, it was easier to keep you under constant supervision. That way if something did happen it would be relatively easy to stop you."

"Yeah," Teemo nodded hesitantly. "I get that. But that can't be the only reason. I thought you could tell if a yordle was insane straight away. In that case, why keep me here for so long?"

"Every yordle is different Teemo," the older yordle explained softly. "It depends on the person and the circumstances that shape the insanity. In most cases it is very easy to identify a slipping yordle, but in some, the worst signs don't show up until later."

During the explanation Teemo never took his eyes off of his father, meaning he didn't miss the slight way his shoulders hunched nor the far away look his eyes got.

"You're speaking from experience," he realised.

There was a long moment of silence to the point Teemo was sure his dad wasn't going to answer. But then came the barely audible reply. "My best friend killed my sister."

The young yordle's eyes widened at his words. "I didn't know you had a sister."

"No. You wouldn't. It happened long before you became part of our family and I don't like talking about it much. Some hurts never fade."

Teemo had never seen his dad this vulnerable or hurt. The pain and grief that haunted his face was so deeply etched into it, the teen was surprised he'd never noticed it before. Still, he didn't stop the older yordle as he continued his tale.

"We'd been on a mission that had gone wrong and, in the aftermath, we'd gotten separated. I managed to get out okay but it was months before he was rescued. Everyone was worried, but he seemed to make a miraculous recovery. Then, about a month later, something just snapped. He killed his wife – my sister – and their unborn child before murdering several civilians. In the end, I had to shoot him to stop his rampage… It was the hardest day of my life."

The silence that followed was eventually broken by a quiet voice. "You're worried I'll do the same?" There was no hiding the fear that coloured the question, causing Miles to meet his son's worried eyes.

"No," he said firmly. "As different as that case was, when a yordle slips there are _always_ signs. Things that are unusual or out of character. For my friend, it was his attitude shift. He became volatile around sensitive topics and wouldn't discuss the mission. That was why I was concerned when you wouldn't acknowledge your missing comrades. But now that you are, you're able to move on. That's the biggest difference."

The relief Teemo felt must have been palpable because his dad chuckled before pulling him into a hug. "You have nothing to worry about," he promised.

Now that his worries were soothed, the young yordle found his curiousity peaked. "Hey dad," he asked tentatively, "could you tell me about your sister?"

Miles smiled, an expression full of fondness but also melancholy. "What would you like to know?"

* * *

 **I'm really happy that the scene between Teemo and his mum ended up being this weekend. It was a nice way to give a shout out to all the wonderful mums on Mother's Day :).**

 **Fun Fact: Rumpo means to break or burst in Latin.**


	7. Complications

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Sorry about the late update. I got sick. Also, I had to rewrite the second half of this chapter because I wasn't happy with it. Hope the longer chapter makes up for the lateness :).**

* * *

 _Teemo and Arin burst into the campsite with an enormous crash. Instantly, Lieutenant Roxanne swung her weapon towards them, only to pause a fraction above their faces when she recognised the two recruits._

" _What happened?" she asked forcefully._

" _We were attacked," Arin spoke up as Teemo pulled the girl to her feet beside him. "Lieutenant Darren told us to get back here while he held them off."_

 _Commander Rodney (who had swiftly arrived soon after their sudden entrance) gave them a sharp look. "Attacked by what?"_

" _Some sort of scaled beasts," Teemo told him. "They were large, fast and had a tough, grey hide. Lieutenant Darren's dagger barely scratched the surface of the one that attacked us."_

" _There's at least two or three of them," the green-skinned recruit added. "We heard the others on our way back."_

 _Roxanne gave their commanding officer a shocked look. "I've never heard of any sort of creature like that here," she said, concern lacing her voice._

 _The older yordle narrowed his eyes in response, "Neither have I, but there's a lot we don't know about this jungle. They're headed this way?"_ _The last part for directed at the two recruits, causing the teens to nod._

" _We slowed them down with a patch of Rumpo Shrooms but they're likely still following us," Teemo explained briefly._

 _Understanding flashed through Commander Rodney's eyes as he immediately jumped into action. "Roxanne, get the recruits in position and ready to move. We're not equipped to deal with this head on but we may have enough time to get away if we act quickly. Corin and I will guard our rear. You two, get to the others."_

 _They never got the chance to answer as Arin's eyes widened. The teen tried to call out a warning but the Commander was already moving. In one fluid movement, the veteran pulled out his dual blades out to catch the leaping monster before it reached them. With a clever twist, he forced the bigger creature away as a second beast emerged from the undergrowth._

 _Roxanne pulled out her gun. "Get to the others!" she called out as she joined the Commander._

 _Not needing more motivation, the two recruits raced across the camp before suddenly colliding with Milli. Teemo managed to catch the pale girl as she fell backwards but she paid it no mind._ _Instead she pushed into their space with a desperate cry._

 _"Where's Commander Rodney? There're lizard-beasts attacking!"_

 _The cream-coloured yordle felt his stomach drop at her words. "On the other side of the camp holding two more of them off with Lieutenant Roxanne."_

 _The white yordle's mouth opened in horror even as a strange calmness settled over Teemo. "We need to get out of here. Where are the others?"_

" _This way." Now that she had some direction Milli jumped into action, leading the other two scouts back the way she's come as she explained, "Kade was taken out before we knew what was happening but Lieutenant Corin_ _seemed to be holding them_ _off with Davis and Lexi's help."_

' _Holding them off' might have been a bit optimistic, Teemo thought when they reached the rest of the recruits. The trio found them just inside the edge of the camp, where they'd been forced back to from the sheer pressure the bloodthirsty beasts were applying. Still, Milli had been right on one count, as the Lieutenant and the others had successfully kept the creatures at bay._ _As they arrived however, things rapidly escalated._

" _Milli!" Davis called out in surprise, turning from the battle. "What're you doing back here?"_

 _One of the dark hounds instantly pounced for the distracted boy's back but Corin pushed him out of the way._

 _He let out a quick cry as its claws sliced long tears through his calf muscle but it didn't stop him from twisting out of its hold with a sharp kick to its muzzle. The beast collided with the other, sending them down in a pile of growling limbs._

 _Limping heavily, the Lieutenant pulled Davis and Lexi over to the others. His face was pulled in a tight grimace but his eyes were still sharp. Looking over the group, he quickly put together the situation._

" _More?" he asked to be sure. Barely waiting for their nods he continued. "If they manage to pin us down we're as good as dead. You need to get out of here now and get to the rendezvous point. Commander Rodney and Roxanne should meet up with you soon. Whether they do or don't you need to get to the other scouts."_

" _What about you?" Milli asked._

" _I'm going to try and keep these things from following you."_

" _But-" Davis tried to argue but the senior yordle cut him off._

" _What did the Commander say about knowing when to fight? The other group need to know what happened. Now go!"_

 _Reluctantly, the five recruits took off towards the forest. Teemo glanced back once, just in time to see Corin pull out his pistol and shoot a nearby container of cooking gas before a large explosion took him from view. Smoke rapidly billowed out from the point of impact, driving the creatures from view and leaving the centre of the campsite a smouldering pile of dying flames._

 _Before long, the five recruits reach the rendezvous point, coughing and gasping for breath._

 _Once they got their breathing under control, Arin asked the question they'd all been wondering. "Now what?"_

 _A heavy silence fell over the yordle before Milli spoke up. "We should head towards the other group," she said softly, already scanning the surrounding jungle to get her bearings. "They're much more equipped to handle this than we are."_

" _No way!" Davis immediately jumped to his feet, fists tightening at his sides. "We need to wait for the Commander and the Lieutenant. We can't just leave them here!"_

" _But what if those things find us first?" Arin asked._

" _Not to mention the limited time we have to get to the other group," Lexi added. The pink girl placed her hand to her chin as she thought. "Our communicators where lost at the camp as was the map of the area. If the group moves on we'll have no way of finding them."_

" _Oh yeah," Davis rounded on the two. "All the more reason to wait. The Commander knows these woods better than any of us. We're more likely to make it there with him_ and _he'll likely know where they went if they have moved."_

 _Teemo stepped in before they could argue further. "You've all got a point. Commander Rodney and Lieutenant Roxanne are both going to increase our chances of survival." Seeing Davis' elated look, the cream-coloured male continued before he could brag. "However, we can't wait for them forever. So how about this: we wait ten minutes for them to show. That gives them a reasonable time to get out without us losing too much time waiting. Agreed?"_

 _Grudgingly, the others nodded._

" _A good plan," the unexpected voice made the recruits jump, turning with weapons raised as two new figures appeared out of the smoke. "But not necessary."_

 _Collectively, they let out sighs of relief at the sight of their Commander and Roxanne. Both yordles looking a little worse for wear but definitely alive._

 _Meeting the young yordles' eyes Commander Rodney continued grimly. "Corin's trick gave us a little time. Let's not waste it."_

* * *

Tristana made her way through the bustling defence grounds outside the Mothership, hoping to make it to the recruitment fields with time to spare for once. Even though she hadn't graduated yet, she was already expected to participate in part-time training in the evenings to get used to the training regimen. It was more work sure, but as she felt the weight of her new uniform the blue teen couldn't help but feel it was worth it.

As she arrived at the training grounds, Tristana spotted a pair of familiar cream ears. "Teemo!" she called out as she strode towards him. "What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

He greeted her with a warm smile, waving at her with his injured hand (not that you could tell through his gloves).

"I'm mostly healed so I'm allowed on light duty."

Tristana sent him a playful glare, "Allowed yes. But not obligated. I would have thought you'd have taken some time off after everything."

The taller yordle shrugged, his smile fading. "I was getting restless. Wanted something to take my mind off of things – regain a sense of familiarity."

"Ah," was all Tristana could say. Trying to change the conversation, she forced a smile, "But what are you doing here? Don't the scouts have some super secluded training grounds away from us commoners?"

"Shared training today," Teemo took the topic gratefully. "Something about building cooperation between units and experience for the new recruits." He gave a self-conscious chuckle. "I'll be honest, that's part of the reason I decided to come in today. I really wanted to see you in action."

Tristana smirked, "And then show me up with your own skills."

"Would I do that?"

They both laughed at that before falling into an easy silence. After a bit, Teemo broke it. "I'm surprised you got in so early. Isn't your house quite far from here?"

The blue girl looked away. "I've been staying with Artemis recently. Her place is much closer."

The cream yordle picked up the implications but didn't say anything. Instead he asked, "How is she?"

"Away at the moment," the girl responded. "Her troop was sent to investigate the Kumungu the day after you got back so I've had the house to myself. It's nice, but a little quiet compared to what I'm used to. You're welcome to come visit if you want."

Teemo gave her a warm smile, straightening as their commander came into view. "I might take you up on that."

"Alright troops!" the tall female's words immediately had the young yordles scrambling to attention. "Today we're going to do some mock combat practice. You'll be randomly sorted into groups of four and your aim is to take out the opposing team."

This caused some murmurs of excitement and nerves from some of the newer recruits but their commander ignored them.

"Since most of you don't have much real-world experience, weapons will only be paint equivalents. If you get marked by paint, you're out. If you go out of bounds, you're out. If you are immobilised, you're out. Last team standing wins. Got it?"

The young recruits only had a moment to nod before the older yordle called out the first team. "First up will be Junaid, Yasmin, Tristana and Aurel against Reina, Annette, Lerato and Suvi."

Tristana gave her friend a quick grin before she joined the other seven yordles to gear up. Once they were in position, the commander gave them one last piece of advice, "Remember, this is a test to evaluate how well you can adapt to a situation so make sure you use your environment to the best of your ability."

In the end, the first fight ended pretty quickly. Unsurprisingly, Tristana's team won. The blue girl was a natural with her paint gun, and with the help of her team, was able to easily outplay her opponents. This got her a flattering report from the commander and a lot of praise from the other recruits. By the time she made her way back to Teemo, the female was practically glowing.

He gave her a warm grin and a sincere, "Congrats!" before both turned to watch the next teams' fight.

The next couple of matches were fairly even (none coming close to beating the record set by the first team) and uneventful, but their commander seemed pretty pleased with the raw talent the recruits were showing.

Finally, it was Teemo's turn. Making his way to their entry point, he let out a long breath to get rid of his lingering nerves and let his instincts kick in.

"So," one of the new yordles, Lloyd, turned to him. "You're our leader for this exercise. What-"

"There's an open ridge on the mid-right side of the arena which cuts a clear path around and behind us," the pale yordle cut him off crisply. "If they get through that they'll be able to come at us from two sides. You three will head there and hold them off."

"But, the ridge will give them-" the grey-furred female tried to argue but was also cut off.

"That was an order, now stop wasting my time."

Before the others could speak further, the scout briskly took off into the foliage, leaving them there.

"I guess… we do what he says," the first shrugged.

The three yordles took off in the direction they were told, soon coming up to the ridge in question.

"There," Jimmie pointed out some figures moving along the top. "I see th-"

He pulled back just in time; a glob of paint splattering the tree behind at chest height. As more shots rained down on them, the trio dove for cover behind some nearby rocks.

Lloyd carefully peered over the edge of their cover, trying to see if he could return fire, only to immediately duck back down as paint headed straight for him.

"I tried to warn him," Joelle seethed. "The ridge gives them the advantage of higher ground. We're sitting ducks here."

High above them, Madoc grinned as he and his two teammates fired down on their enemies. "Told you this would work," he crowed. "With them pinned we'll win in no time."

The fluffy boy next to him paused briefly to regard him seriously. "Don't get too cocky. There's still one missing."

The teal-coloured yordle just scoffed. "So? It'll be four against one then. Besides, that's why we have Alexey guarding our flanks." Realising they should probably check in with their teammate, Madoc brought his communicator up. "How're things looking Alli? We've got things in the bag on our end."

The only reply was the harsh sound of static.

"Alexey?" the smallest level of worry wormed its way into his gut as all three slowed their assault, attention now focused on the shrieking device.

"Maybe she dropped it. Or is fighting," Henrietta tried to reason. "Two here should be enough. I'll go help."

"Right," Madoc tried to sound more confident than he felt. His eyes briefly met Wayne's before they both turned their attention back to the trio of recruits they'd pinned.

Or at least they did until a shrill screech came from where the blonde female had left. The remaining two yordles froze.

"Henny?" Madoc called out. "You alright?"

Silence met his ears. Cold, deafening silence that torn unease right through the recruit.

"I think we should move," he spoke to the other boy, trying to keep his voice from quivering. However, when he turned to him, there was no one. "Wayne?"

By now the teal yordle could not deny the panic rapidly rising within him as his eyes darted about him in paranoia. A twig somewhere to his left snapped causing the teen to splatter the area with paint. But no one called out and no one appeared.

A rustling bush on his right was all it took for his resolve to break and the young yordle bolted away from the ridge. He barely made it ten steps before something constricted around his ankle and launched him into the air.

Once he got his bearings, Madoc found himself hanging upside-down by a tree snare. His gun had been flung well away from his reach and no matter how he twisted he could not reach the knot. That's when he heard the footsteps approaching. Unhurried, meticulous footsteps steadily making their way towards him.

He could not fight. He could not run. All he could do was close his eyes tightly and tense as the steps stopped right beside him. This was the end.

"Dead."

Madoc's eyes flew open as something wet dripped onto his face to meet the unfeeling gaze of the pale yordle above him; his hand pulling back as it continued to drip red paint.

All of a sudden, the tension he felt was broken as another recruit broke through the clearing.

"That was so amazing!" Lloyd crowed. "You took out all of them on your own!"

The serious yordle broke into a nervous laugh, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I've just had more practise," was his humble response.

And all Madoc could do was stare. He unconsciously tensed as the cream-coloured boy turned his gaze back to him but all he did was smile.

"Sorry about that. Here, let me help you down."

As Lloyd continued to chatter excitedly about the exercise, the two yordles helped the third boy out of the snare. Soon they were joined by the others outside the arena, Madoc noting (with some relief) that his own teammates, though a little on edge, were none the worse for wear.

"Alright, let's start with the obvious," their commander wasted no time on them. "Teemo, your use of the environment was efficient and creative, allowing your team to take out your opponents in record time."

The teen in question, straightened as he was addressed before the tall female continued. "However, putting your team in danger to draw out the enemy is not a strategy I would ever recommend. Yes, this was a training exercise and it worked out for everyone involved. But if it hadn't, you would be responsible for the death of all your teammates as well as being left in a four on one situation."

"I understand," he spoke softly.

Nodding, the commander turned her attention to criticizing the other recruits. After she was done, they were allowed to disperse for a short break before the next exercise.

Tristana felt as if there was a brick lodged in her stomach after the display she'd seen. There had been something inexplicably disconcerting about watching her friend in that last fight. Something about how _different_ he had seemed that left the girl uneasy. However, she pushed it aside with a smile as he approached.

"You know, I know I said you'd show me up but I didn't think you'd rub it in _that_ much. That was incredible!"

"Yeah."

"Hey are you alright?" the blue yordle peered closely at her friend at his lacklustre response. "You look really pale."

"I'm sorry. I don't think I'm feeling that well after all. I think I'm going to head home."

Tristana gave him a concerned look, but before she could push, the commander called her group up again. "Alright," she conceded. "Hope you feel better soon."

Teemo watched as his friend raced off before returning his gaze to his hands. "Yeah," he whispered, as a brief look of fear crossed his face, "me too."


	8. Words Left Unspoken

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry this is late. It's a funny story actually. I had this all typed up last weekend but it ended up being roughly 1.5 times the size it currently is, so I had to spend extra time figuring out what I could cut for next chapter without losing the pacing too much. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 _It didn't take the scouts long to make their way to the other campsite, but it still felt like eternity. Everyone was on edge; wary looks constantly being thrown at their surroundings for any sign of the monsters._

 _But they didn't appear. The entire trip to the edge of the other troop's site ended up being painfully uneventful._

 _However, any relief that fact might have brought them was extremely short-lived once they got a clear view of the campsite. The recruits could only stare in shock at what looked like the results of a furious hurricane; utilities were overturned, tents were torn and broken and gear was scattered everywhere. It was a disaster._

 _Their commander tensed at the sight. "Stick close and keep your guard up," he told them before cautiously entering the campsite._

 _Teemo gripped his blowgun tightly as he followed, staring at the destruction around him with wide eyes. It was an unnerving sight, seeing the place so still and silent._ _Carefully, he avoided the places where the earth had been churned up, as well as the discarded weapons and – most disturbingly – the patches of dried blood._

 _Next to him, Davis tensed, swinging his weapon towards a sudden movement._ _A small lizard skittered away from under the edge of an overturned container._

" _What could have done this to a full squad?" he asked quietly._

 _Teemo had no answer. "Nothing good," he was forced to admit._

 _Behind them Milli frowned. "But where is everyone? If they left, why didn't they contact us? If they're dead, where are the bodies?"_

 _The two boys froze at the unpleasant thought. Ideas, each more horrifying than the last, swarmed them until Roxanne broke them out of their stalled state. "That's what we're going to find out."_

 _Up ahead Commander Rodney stopped their advance as a disturbance caught his attention. His dual blades came whipping out as two figures emerged from a semi-upright tent._

" _Don't attack!" one of them shouted._

 _Cautiously, the Commander lowered the blades as he recognised their uniforms._

 _The one who had spoken saluted, while the yordle leaning heavily on him tried to sluggishly follow._

" _Private Rex and Casey of unit 12, sir."_

 _The yordle veteran nodded to them. "Where's Commander Springer?"_

 _Casey – the darker-furred yordle – winced as he tried to support his own weight. "She's dead sir."_

 _Commander Rodney drew in a sharp breath. "What happened?"_

" _We were attacked by several creatures. Large, canine-esque, dark-grey scales. Never seen anything like them here before."_

 _Rodney and Roxanne exchanged looks but didn't say anything._

 _Rex adjusted his comrade's weight on his shoulder as Casey continued, "Not sure what happened to the others but I saw Commander Springer go down just before I was knocked out. When I came to, no one was here but Rex and I."_

 _At the rugged yordle's look, Rex took over. "I was on patrol on the west flank. Never saw a thing. I got suspicious when I wasn't relieved and headed back to camp where I found it in the same state you did. I found Casey under a collapsed tent but he was the only one. Once I got him patched up we looked for the communicators to contact you, but they were all damaged in the fight. That was the night before last. We've been waiting here for Casey to heal enough to move before we were going to head to your group. But it seems you found us first."_

" _We were attacked by the same creatures," Roxanne told them._

 _The Commander ignored they're surprised reactions. His eyes narrowed as his thoughts churned._

" _Private Casey, can you make the trip to the Sablestone mountains?"_

 _The dark yordle nodded, pulling his weight completely from his companion (though his hand did go to the wound at his side). "I won't slow us down."_

" _Good. Then we'll head back to Bandle as fast as we can."_

* * *

 _Dawn was just peering over the horizon when Commander Rodney finally deemed it safe enough to rest. Many of the recruits collapsed in thankfulness, adrenaline having long worn into exhaustion. Within minutes all of the recruits were sleeping deeply. All, that is, except Teemo._

 _Laying on his side on one of the salvaged sleeping rolls, the cream-coloured teen just couldn't seem to shake the underlying nausea needling at his consciousness. No matter how tired his body was, his thoughts kept turning to the strange beasts that had attacked them. The ones that had killed Lieutenant Corin, Lieutenant Darren, Kade and almost an entire scout troop. What were those creatures? Were they still following them? He didn't know but it seemed that answer wasn't good enough for his brain._

 _Tired of the uneasy loop coiling inside his brain, the yordle deliberately forced his thoughts to his family and friends back in Bandle City. As he wondered what they were up to and recalled fond memories of them, Teemo soon found his breaths deepening as the alluring edges of sleep started to pull at his consciousness, only for soft voices to rouse him again._

 _He soon recognised them as Roxanne and the Commander. His curiousity peaked, he listened in._

" _-don't understand how they could have tracked both groups so fast. It doesn't make sense for beasts to be that selective," he heard Lieutenant Roxanne say._

" _I know," Commander Rodney agreed. "Something is not right with all this. I've never encountered anything like those creatures before. I've heard tale of something similar living in the Ironspike mountains. But that's well up north, there's no way they could have made it this far by themselves."_

 _Roxanne sighed, pulling her hands through her dark hair. "I'm starting to doubt they are acting on their own," she admitted softly. "It's suspicious enough that some never-before-seen creatures attack both groups in rapid succession. But what really concerns me is the fact that they targeted our radios. No beast is that smart. I don't like it."_

 _The old commander sighed. "There's not much we can do. No one knows about the pass, so as long as we can make it back there in time we should be okay. Until then, the best we can do is keep our eyes and ears open."_

" _What do we tell the kids?" the tan female asked._

" _Until we know more, we don't tell them anything. Without enough information to go on it would just worry them unnecessarily."_

" _If you're sure," was Roxanne's dubious response. With a sigh she stood up. "I'm going to get some sleep while I can. Wake me for the next watch."_

 _As she walked away, Teemo felt a cold dread settle in his chest. Somehow, he doubted he was going to get any sleep today._

* * *

 _As the evening descended on them, the small team of yordles moved on. With the possibility that they were being followed, the Commander had decided it would be better to travel at night (when they were all alert) and rest during the day._

 _Thankfully, they didn't have that far to travel. Despite the fact that the training was meant to last a month, the campsites had all been carefully set to only be (at most) a couple of days out from the mountain pass._

 _However, only a day out from the pass familiar howls sounded behind them. A chill settled over the group as they froze._

" _We have to move!" Commander Rodney spoke urgently._

 _The recruits began to move again, but Casey stopped their Commander before they made had it far. "Sir," the injured scout said. "I request you leave me behind. I'll only slow you down."_

" _We don't leave troops behind," Lieutenant Roxanne said firmly, but the dark yordle just shook his head._

" _With all due respect, I don't think you'll make it without some interference. Better for one of us to not make it back than for all of us to be taken out." His gaze lingered on the young recruits before he met the old commander's gaze._

" _You know what you're asking for?" was all the grizzly yordle said._

 _The muscles in Casey's jaw tightened as he nodded resolutely._

" _Very well. Good luck soldier."_

" _But-" Davis tried to cut in._

" _Troops move out now!" Commander Rodney cut him off and reluctantly the recruits did._

 _Rex turned to his friend, pain evident in his face. "Are you sure about this? I can stay too."_

 _Casey just gave him a lop-sided grin. "Go. Protect the yordlings. Isn't that why we're here in the first place?"_

 _Grief tore at the grey yordle's heart as he nodded. "It's been an honour serving with you."_

 _He only looked back once._

* * *

Rumble was rummaging around through the junkyard, looking for pieces to help him complete his latest project – a small-scale self-sustaining engine that he was hoping to finish before graduation. Considering all that had happened recently, he was content to take his time; enjoying the solitude found amongst the mounds of unwanted things as he looked for items he could add to the 'collection' (or as Tristana referred to it as – junk) that he had been steadily amassing behind his workshop.

Many people had asked him why he went to the junkyard instead of buying the items new (to which he usually answered that he was good enough to work with it instead of brainlessly forking out money for over-priced and limited items). The truth was, his parents couldn't afford it. Yes, he and Ziggs occasionally got to mess with some of the inventions the hazel yordle's dad brought home. But the two had grown up usually having to scrounge up the parts for themselves.

This junkyard in particular was his favourite. It always had plenty of potential items and was relatively close to his workshop.

The blue yordle's quiet solitude was broken when a pair of fancy shoes stormed into vision as he was checking piston parts.

"Oi Rumble!"

The short teen was immediately on edge, twisting to face Connor. Almost instantly, his eyes darted past the haughty teen to his four friends before he became conscious of the pile of junk at his back. Amber eyes narrowed: so that's how he was going to play it.

The pretty-boy continued, "I never did repay you for punching me in the face the other week."

Rumble sneered at him. "Nothing you didn't deserve."

"We'll see if you still feel that way after we're finished with you."

If Connor was hoping to intimidate the blue yordle he was sorely mistaken as the boy burst out laughing.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" he taunted them. "You couldn't do damage to a puff pastry with your delicate, manicured hands."

The boy's smug look turned into an ugly scowl as the five yordles drew close. "I'll make you eat your words."

"Careful," Rumble jeered as he fell into a defensive stance, "you might break a nail."

* * *

Ziggs looked up in surprise at the knock on the door, before glancing at the clock. As expected it read 11:15. Turns out time hadn't suddenly jumped wildly since he'd last checked the clock 5 minutes ago.

So who was trying to get his attention this late at night?

Grumbling, the hazel yordle made his way to the door (he swore if it was Cam forgetting her keys again he was going to leave her out there for the night), only for his jaw to drop in surprise at the sight that met him.

"Hey," was all Rumble said to the gaping boy, seemingly ignoring the multitude of cuts and bruises that covered his body.

Ziggs pinched his eyes shut as he let out a long breath. "You should come in."

The two teens quietly made their way past the hazardous stacks of junk in the hallway to the kitchen. There the brown-furred yordle quickly shoved the project he'd been working on to one half of the table before going to grab the med-kit. He briefly thanked his mum for restocking it. Between Rumble's fights, Ziggs' failed experiments and on occasion, Tristana's brash nature, the med-kit had seen a lot of use. Still, as he turned back, the boy couldn't help but feel this was one of the worst times he'd seen his friend.

"Thanks," Rumble said softly as he eased himself down into one of the chairs. "I didn't want to worry my ma."

"Probably lucky everyone else is in bed then. News would have spread like wildfire," Ziggs joked handing the blue boy some antiseptic and an icepack. A frown invaded his face as he looked over the damage once more. "So who was it this time?"

Rumble snorted, "Who do you think? Connor and his friends jumped me at the junkyard."

Ziggs grimaced. "They sure did a number on you."

The shorter teen winced as he cleaned out his split knuckles. "You think this is bad. They look worse."

His friend raised an eyebrow. "Worse than a wrench sticking out of their head?" he gestured to the object in question, lodged behind the steel-blue yordle's wide ear, unsure how to even go about removing it.

Finally he decided to just go for it. "Hold on, this'll hurt," he warned.

"Well," Rumble said mollified. "Maybe just as bad. They-Ow! Fuck!"

"Sorry," Ziggs wasted no time pressing a clean cloth up against the wound as his other hand went searching for the bandages.

"Sis alrigh'," the injured boy slurred as the pain slowly receded.

Satisfied with how the head wound was wrapped, the hazel yordle tried to determine what was the next priority.

"Ribs?" he asked but the shorter boy just shook his head.

"Bruised but not broken," he said as he finished wrapping his hands.

Nodding, Ziggs moved on to disinfecting the gash on Rumble's cheek as he commented lightly, "Maybe next time, don't punch Connor in the face at school."

The teen's answer was to immediately scowl. "Not a chance. He called Trist a whore. There's no way I was going to let him get away with that."

Anger rose within Ziggs (he hadn't been aware of that piece of information) before he pushed it back down. "You know Trist can take care of herself."

"I know! I know," Rumble turned away, pulling the icepack up to his blackeye as an excuse not to look at his friend. "But that doesn't mean I can't be angry. Don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same in my situation."

 _Probably,_ Ziggs admitted to himself before trying to tackle the heart of the problem. "Yeah but there's a big difference between how I view Tristana and how you do."

A violent blush overtook the other boy's face as he stuttered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Cue eye roll. "Dude, Teemo and I have known for _years._ Why do you think we used to tease you about it?"

"It's that obvious?" A wide grin stretched across the hazel yordle's face but before he could say anything Rumble cut him off. "Yeah ok, it's that obvious."

"So, you ever going to tell her?"

"No," was the soft reply, Rumble's eyes fixed on the table.

"Why not?" Ziggs asked in exasperation. "If you're nervous about telling her, I can help you practise." To prove his point, the brown-furred teen grabbed two roughly-spherical parts from his project and stuffed them down his singlet before striking a pose.

"Hi I'm Tristana," he pitched his voice high. "I'm a strong, independent woman. Oh, hey Rumble. You look like you have something to tell me – perhaps pertaining to your feelings about me?"

Rumble snorted. "That's your impression of Trist?"

"Hey give me a break! I've never impersonated someone before," Ziggs turned his sad eyes on his friend, but it didn't have the desired effect when one of the bowls he was using slipped down with the sudden movement. "Woops, there goes one of my boobs."

The blue boy let out a small bark of laughter before wincing as it aggravated his ribs. "Ow. Look Ziggs. Thanks for the offer but it's alright. I've never had any intention of telling Trist."

"How come?"

Ziggs' green eyes were wide with curiousity but no judgement. So, for the first time, Rumble opened up about the feelings he'd had for their friend for so long.

"Because she's amazing and courageous and caring. She doesn't care what someone says she can and can't do. She'll just do things because they're the right thing to do and because she wants to make a difference. Not just for this town but for the world too. She gets so passionate that her eyes _shine_ with optimism. She's beautiful and amazing and I'm… not. I'm the yordle that doesn't get along with anyone. Who's almost been expelled because I've been in that many fights. Whose teachers call 'a waste of potential' because I won't conform to what they want me to be. She deserves better."

A heavy silence fell over the pair. In the background the clock ticked away, vocalising the passage of time. At the table Rumble wouldn't meet Ziggs' eyes.

"Well you know," the hazel teen started tentatively. "I think you're selling yourself short – pun totally not intended. Sure, you get into lots of fights and yeah, you do have a bit of a temper and you're right the teachers do get up you a lot."

Rumble sent him a glare but the other boy just ploughed on.

"But you know what, they get up me too. In fact, I probably have a worse track record with them than you do. Besides don't girls love bad boys – hey maybe I should go with that angle – right back on track. What I'm trying to say is: you guys don't think any less of me because of all that, so why would we think any less of you?"

"Thanks Ziggs," the blue yordle said softly, his shoulders shedding some of the tension they'd been holding.

The yordle grinned, "And just so you know. My offer for practising still stands."

Rumble chuckled. "It's ok. Trist is busy trying to become a Commando. She's not interested in a relationship at the moment anyway."

It was an obvious excuse, but Ziggs knew that was as much as he was likely to get tonight. With a frustrated breath he let it go. "So, have I shown you what I'm working on?" he asked brightly.

* * *

 **I've been looking forward to this chapter for a while. I've said in the past that relationships in this story are complicated and this is one of the reasons why. Because even though Rumble's obviously had a crush on Tristana for a while he refuses to say anything about it.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did writing it (I'll be honest, Ziggs kind of took over my chapter and I enjoyed every minute of it).**


	9. Revelations

**Author's Note: Hey guys sorry for the late chapter again (this feels like a bit of a pattern atm). Hopefully the longer chapter make up for it a little :)**

* * *

Tristana was lying on the bed in Artemis' spare room (technically it was hers but she hadn't had the heart to call it that yet), her father's note in front of her as she reread it for what felt like the hundredth time.

 _To Tristy,_

 _I'm so sorry that things turned out this way. What you are doing is courageous and wonderful and I'm so proud of you. I know you'll do great things as a Megling Commando. Try not to let your mother's words get you down. Though I know you have your differences, she really does want what's best for you._

 _Please be safe,_

 _Your Father_

A small smile quirked at her lips as she carefully placed the letter on her beside table. Then, with a sigh, she turned her attention to her homework.

However, she'd barely made it through the first question when a knock on the door made her pause. Curiously, the blue teen made her way to the entrance.

"Teemo," she chirped at the sight of the young yordle at the door. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't feeling well."

He gave her a small smile, "Well you did invite me over. If the offer still stands."

"Of course!"

Cheerfully, the bright girl gave her friend a small tour of the house. Teemo followed behind her dutifully, eyes following her gestures but there was a lack of focus to them, and his expression remained lacklustre.

Noticing this, Tristana paused mid-sentence. "Teemo are you alright?"

The yordle let out a shaky breath. "I don't know," he admitted.

"Okay," Tristana didn't know what to say as she led them back to the lounge room. "So, what's up?"

"I'm not sure," Teemo said quietly. "I've just had a lot of little things that aren't adding up." Taking a deep breath, he drove forward, asking the question that had been haunting him for a while, "Tristana, I have to ask, that cut on your cheek the first day you guys came to visit. Did I do that?"

His blue gaze bore into her with such intensity that the blue girl found herself unable to lie. Mutely she nodded.

At her answer the pale yordle curled in on himself in panic, hands covering his face as a muttered stream escaped him. "Oh, no, no, _no_ , _no_ …" his words cut off as his breathing become too rapid.

Tristana felt her stomach twist in worry at the complete lack of composure her usually stead-fast friend was showing. Carefully, she pulled his hands away from where they'd clawed tightly at his fur, pulling his frightened gaze as she asked as calmly as possible. "Teemo, what's wrong?"

"Trist, I think something's wrong with me," he said brokenly. "I don't remember doing that. And the combat training yesterday. I don't remember any of that either. I don't remember _using my team as bait and brutally taking out four other recruits._ "

He pulled himself from her grip. But before he got too far, he suddenly stopped, gaze unable to meet that of the concerned girl across from him.

"I'm worried," he said in a small voice. "I worried that I'm going Insane. That I've Slipped."

Tristana steeled herself, putting on a front that was more confident than she felt. "You're not going Insane."

The pale boy rounded on her, "How can you be so sure? I meet all the requirements: prolonged period of time isolated; traumatic event; uncharacteristic and violent behaviour. I _hurt_ you Tristana. What if I do it again? What if I do something worse?"

"Do you have proof you will?" At the girl's challenge Teemo fell into a deep silence, eyes fixated on the ground. "Teemo?" the blue teen pushed.

Tension coiled like a spring in the silence before finally Teemo broke it quietly. "Did you know my dad had a sister?"

"No," Tristana admitted, a little thrown by the sudden change in conversation.

"Seraphina. She was killed by her husband a month after he was rescued."

Tristana sighed, "That doesn't mean it'll happen to you."

"But that's the thing," the yordle turned to her, worry dwelling in his blue eyes. "I _recognised_ her name. I recognised it from the orphanage."

Silence stretched once again as the significance of that sunk in for the blue girl. Across from her, worry surged once more in Teemo. Panic rapidly rising at the implications of what that might mean. Only for it to be cut off when a warm hand landed on his shoulder.

"Hey," Tristana gave him a reassuring smile. "We should get some rest. In the morning we'll go get Rumble and Ziggs and solve this – together."

Teemo took in a shaky breath. "Thanks Trist."

* * *

 _Teemo took in a shaky breath as the air slowly cleared. The sweet and poignant smell of the gas mixed with the decaying earth shoved close to his nose made his already fuzzy head throb in time with his heartbeat. He closed his eyes briefly, hoping to block out some of the pain and instead focused on his surroundings._

 _He could feel the rough ground digging into the side of his head, however, he couldn't feel anything from the arm pinned underneath his weight nor could he feel the bush he knew was brushing up against his leg. Worse than that, he couldn't even get his lethargic limbs to move out of their way._

Breathe, _he'd commanded himself, as his anxiety started rising again. Now was not the time to break down in panic._

 _His back was to the rock cliff, meaning he didn't have to move to see the rest of the group in a similar state. However, this clear view did not put him at any ease considering the tall figures standing on the other side of the clearing._

" _Well," the first to approach was a lean, dark-skinned human (Shuriman, if Teemo was to hazard a guess). His sharp gaze swept across the downed yordles as he continued mildly. "I think that went well, all things considered."_

" _Went well my ass," a scrawny man with wild hair spat as he pushed past. Teemo felt a rush of fury and sadness shoot through him as the short human kicked the furry lump closest to the entrance. "Look what it did to my doggies!"_

 _Of the four beasts that had been chasing them, only two remained; the pair leaning into the wildman's touch with gentle snorts as he tended to their injuries. He refused to even look at the silent, grey bodies flopped gracelessly next to the mauled form of their Commander._

 _Teemo averted his gaze, unable to look at the unrecognisable pile of torn flesh and fur that had been Commander Rodney._

 _When the gas had burst throughout the clearing, paralysing all but the Commander, the grizzly yordle had taken it upon himself to hold the enemy off. Helpless and in awe, all they could do was watch as the veteran had held off the prowling beasts. Every time one of them had tried to get past or ripped into him, he'd stood fast, dealing twice as much damage back. On his own, the fearsome yordle had taken out two of the creatures and heavily injured the remaining. Pushing on despite the blood slicking his hands and the ground beneath him with such determination, the recruits had been sure he would be victorious. Right up until a gunshot had left a hole through his head and they'd watched as their Commander had toppled forward into the waiting jaws of the beasts._

" _Quit whining Runt." His eyes shot forward once more at the sound of wood hitting flesh, just in time to see the third human strut away from where the scrawny one was rubbing his head._

" _Ya knew the risks." Her rough Bilgewater accent clashed with the bright hair and kitted outfit that screamed of Zaun._

 _Sneering at the woman, Runt snarled up at her, "Well maybe if your gas had hit everyone like it was supposed to, it wouldn't have turned out this way."_

 _The loud sound of her gun resetting filled the clearing. "You saying I can't do ma job?" she asked in a deadly quiet voice._

" _Enough!" the Shuriman stepped between his two colleagues. "We knew this would be a tough venture when we undertook it. Let's at least finish it before you start fighting."_

 _Grumbling the two backed off._

" _Sven, why don't you start packing up our prize. I don't want to be here longer than needed."_

 _With a nod, the last remaining member (a bearded behemoth of a man) got to work picking up the immobilised yordles and carting them off – somewhere._

 _Satisfied, the leader turned to the mess that had been their Commander. "Shame about this one. He's completely unsalvageable," he said with distaste as he nudged the body with his boot. "Looks like we'll just have to bury it with the rest of the evidence."_

" _You bastard!" Lieutenant Roxanne shouted, the muscles in her body tensing as she tried and failed to pull herself to her feet. "Don't touch him! He was twice the man you are!"_

 _The Shuriman knelt down to view the irate female better. "Maybe so," he admitted nonchalantly, "But what does that matter when he's dead and I'm rich?"_

 _Helpless, Teemo could do nothing more than watch as he too was picked up and carried away with the others._

* * *

 _They were loaded into single cages on the back of a Yakashire (a massive, hairy beast of burden from Shurima used to carry payloads) before the group set off at a steady pace away from the mountain range and Bandle City. Up ahead, the silent Freljordian took point, finding a path that they could fit through with minimum disturbance to the surrounding undergrowth. Behind the Yakashira, the wiry human and the large hound-creatures trailed, seemingly conversing with each other._

 _Davis had been watching them in curiosity. Since there was little else to do, the red-furred teen asked. "What are they?"_

" _They're drake hounds," the Shuriman answered to their surprise. "Fascinating creatures. Only found in the northern mountains of Noxus. Since they're excellent hunters many of the nobles up there have tried to tame them. But they're so fierce and prideful that most don't succeed. Luckily for us, Runt just has a way with them. Must be his Vastayan heritage."_

 _Roxanne narrowed her eyes. "You're pretty chatty for a captor."_

 _The man merely shrugged. "It's hard to find good conversation in this group. Sven's a mute, Runt's crazy and trying to get a conversation out of Belladonner is like trying to pull teeth from a Xer'Sai – difficult and likely to get your head bitten off."_

 _The purple-haired woman on the mount flipped her gun in his direction. "And don't ya forget it Kaleb."_

 _Kaleb gave her a roguish smile. "Wouldn't dream of it!" he replied before turning back to the Lieutenant. "I'll take what I can get."_

" _So what are you planning to do with us?" Lexi asked._

" _The only thing any sane person would come to this blasted jungle for: to make money. Do you have any idea how much a yordle pelt is worth on the black market? With the number of you we just nabbed, we're going to make a fortune."_

 _Teemo felt the air freeze in his lungs as the other recruits stilled_

" _You're going to skin us?" he asked in a horrified whisper._

 _The Shuriman winked, "Bingo."_

" _Then why take us alive?" Roxanne butted in. "Surely, it would be less trouble to have killed us in the clearing rather than carting us around."_

 _Kaleb observed her with a critical eye. "You've never had to skin multiple kills before have you?"_

" _Gee, what gave it away?" contempt dripped from the tan scout's voice but that didn't deter the human._

" _The longer something's dead the more likely the pelt is to rot beyond a top-quality cure. Since we don't have the time to sit in this damned jungle and dedicate all our energy to skinning you lot, it's much more efficient to kill you right before we take your fur."_

" _You're going to make a bunch of teenagers watch as you skin their teachers and friends, while waiting their turn? That's just sick," the Lieutenant spat._

" _But well worth the price," he grinned._

* * *

Ziggs glared at the blue girl at the door. However, due to how sleepy he was the effect only came across as half-hearted. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" the hazel teen grouched out.

"Seven," she answered with a grin.

"Exactly! It's seven in the morning – on a Sunday! I should be asleep." His head created a loud 'thunk' as it hit the doorway.

After how late he'd gone to bed last night, if he'd had his way Ziggs would most definitely still be in bed – friends or no friends at the door. Unfortunately for him, his mother had had other ideas. Upon seeing the two teens at the door, the kind woman had taken it upon herself to make sure her son was up to greet them. And so, with a prompt mattress flip and an earful about courtesy and getting to sleep on time, the fifteen-year-old had found himself standing dead on his feet in front of his friends in the mid-morning sun.

Exchanging a humorous look with Teemo behind her, Tristana unceremoniously poked her sleepy friend in the side. "Come on, we need your help and we've still got to get Rumble."

"You're in luck then 'cause he stayed the night," lifting his head, the hazel teen managed to snag the back of a younger sibling running past. "Yo, Pip. Could you and Taz go get Rumble? You're welcome to use whatever means necessary."

"Sure," with a grin much too sinister for a five-year-old, the honey-coloured kit ran off with a high-pitched squeal.

Tristana winced. "That's so mean."

"Yeah well, I'm too tired to be sympathetic. If I can't sleep in than neither can he."

"What time did you get to bed last night?" Teemo asked. He still felt a little anxious after the meltdown he'd had at Tristana's the previous night, but the chaotic normality of the Van Roon household was enough to ease the tension for now.

Ziggs groaned. "Too late."

Their conversation was broken when a shuddering crash echoed to the trio.

With a manic grin, Ziggs affirmed. "That was probably Rumble."

Sure enough, a few moments later the blue boy wandered into view.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" he complained as he glared at his so-called friends.

"Seven," Tristana promptly replied before her grin fell away in shock. "What'd you do to your head?"

The teen blinked at her tiredly before his hand went to the bandage round his ears. "Oh that. Had a wrench stuck in it."

The powder-blue girl looked torn between curiosity, concern and exasperation. "You know what," she finally decided. "I don't want to know. Besides, we have bigger problems right now."

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Rumble summarised as the four yordles walked down the main road. "You've been having memory lapses since you've gotten back which you think is a sign of Insanity. And you're worried about this because of your dead Aunt whose name you recognise from when you lived in the orphanage. And that's why we're heading there now?"

Teemo nodded. "I keep getting this feeling that I'm missing something. Something important. So I figured, if I can find out where I've heard that name before maybe I can sort out why that story feels so significant to me."

"And you haven't asked your parents about this because…?"

Teemo didn't answer the steel-blue teen's question for a long moment. "Because this is something I have to do for myself," he finally admitted.

Not long after, the quartet arrived at the orphanage and Teemo was suddenly struck by the memories the old building held. This was the place he'd spent the first six years of his life. He'd never looked back after being adopted but now, as he stood in front of the building for the first time since he'd left, he wondered if he maybe should have visited. If not to help out the children in the same position as he had been, than at least for the kindly caretaker who'd dedicated her life to providing love and nurture to all those unfortunate enough to wind up there – no matter how short or long they may stay.

He didn't know how long he stood staring at the front porch before Tristana placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," he straightened, giving the others a firm nod. "Let's do this."

The four teens entered into the large foyer, dodging the running children as they made their way to the first-floor office. As Teemo had hoped, the elderly caretaker was there, sorting through a stack of papers.

"Miss Whitmore?" At the gentle knock on the doorframe she looked up, her wrinkles deepening as she smiled at her visitors.

"Hello Teemo," she greeted the cream-coloured teen. "It's been a while."

"Yeah, I know," he rubbed the back of his head shyly as they entered. "You remember my friends?"

Really it was more of an introduction than a question. One of the reasons Lila Whitmore was beloved by all that met her was her uncanny ability to remember names and details about a yordle no matter how many had been and gone in her care.

"Ah yes," she answered as expected. "Tristana, Ziggs and Rumble, I believe. My look at how much you've all grown."

Teemo chuckled. "Well you haven't changed at all." It wasn't technically true, her dark hair was streaked with more grey and her wrinkles were deeper than he remembered. But the steady, calm and serene kindness he remembered from his early years was exactly the same.

She gave him a soft smile, "You were always so polite. Now, I assume you're not here just to catch up, so what can I do for you?"

A frown pulled at his features, but with the steady presence of his friends at his back the young scout was able to ask, "I was hoping you could tell me more about my past."

Her grey eyes took on a sad quality, "Ah, I should have expected this." With a sigh the elderly yordle slumped back into her seat. "Unfortunately, I'm not sure I have much to offer you."

"Please," Teemo asked her pleadingly. "Anything you know will help. You always told me I was dropped here as a baby, surely you have more information than that."

Miss Whitmore sighed before gesturing them to sit. "There is, though I don't know how much it'll help. I never told you the context around your arrival because of how young you were when you left here."

Teemo leaned forward, eager for the information about to be shared.

"The day you were brought into my care, there had been a massacre."

All four of the yordlings' eyes went wide.

"A massacre?" Ziggs repeated in a subdued voice.

The caretaker nodded, pain evident on her face. "It was a terrible event that I'll never forget. It happened not far from here actually. A nurse that had been close to the scene was the one to drop Teemo off. All she gave me was his name and a plea to keep him safe before she rushed off to help the other injured."

A long silence stretched between them before Rumble asked, "What happened to her?"

The haunted look diminished as Miss Whitmore focused back on the teens before her. "She was one of the casualties. She was shot while trying to save someone else from bleeding out. After that we had no leads to where Teemo had come from. We searched but no one came forward and none of the casualties had any ties to a child that young. In the end, we found nothing."

Teemo had been silent through the whole story but now he looked up. "Thank you," he said softly. "It may not be much but I'm glad you told me."

The old yordle returned his sad smile. "I only wish I could provide you with more."

Teemo paused before asking, "Do you know where I might have heard the name Seraphina before?"

Miss Whitmore looked surprised. "Seraphina? That was the name embroidered on the blanket you came in. I'm surprised you still remember it."

His eyes snapped up to hers as his friends exchanged glances. "The blanket: do you still have it?"

His hope vanished as she shook her head. "No. I gave it to your father years ago."

Time seemed to freeze for the pale yordle at that statement. "What?" was all he managed to get out.

"Your dad, he came here about a year after you were adopted asking about your arrival. I told him the same story and gave him the blanket. Didn't you know that?"

The other three teens turned to their friend but his expression was neutral.

Then, abruptly he stood up. "Thank you for your time. I'll come back for a casual visit soon but right now I need to go."

He gave his old caretaker a smile but it didn't reach his eyes. Then, just as suddenly, he was striding out the door.

The remaining trio exchanged worried glances before taking off after him, hollering their thanks as they left.

* * *

 **I've been so excited to get this chapter up! So much revealed in this one, and yet, it leaves even more questions.**

 **Getting close to the end of this arc now :). I hope you enjoyed this chapter - I know I did.**


	10. Split Up

**Author's Note: Shorter chapter this time but still more climatic than the last couple :). This is the one I've been building up to for a while. Hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Thankfully for the trio, their friend was only travelling at a fast walk, meaning they were able to catch up with him fairly quickly.

Tristana was the first to reach him.

"Hey," she said quietly, as she matched pace beside the pale yordle, "you took off pretty quickly there. Are you okay?"

Despite how calm and steady he usually was, they all knew that Teemo's family was one of his few insecurities; one that was almost guaranteed to get him riled up. As such, this behaviour was unsurprising but still concerning.

The young scout seemed to realise what he was doing and slowed down just enough for the remaining two to catch up.

"They knew," he said, his expression conflicted. "They knew and they didn't tell me. I need to know why."

"Maybe they wanted to protect you," Ziggs suggested hopefully.

But all that did was aggravate the yordle further.

"Then why didn't my dad say anything at the hospital? He told me about the incident and his sister but he never mentioned that I-" Abruptly he cut off, his movements stopping as if he was physically unable to continue.

Then his expression became resolute and he started forward once more. "I have to know the truth."

* * *

Just like at the orphanage, Teemo paused when they reached his front door. But unlike last time, he pushed forward after a brief moment; his desire for the truth overriding his fear of what it might mean.

A small amount of the tension eased from the young yordle as the sound of the door opening brought his parents out. He hadn't been sure if his determination would have lasted had they been out.

Still, his heart remained hardened as he stood in the doorway, face unreadable despite the worried looks the two yordles who'd raised him wore.

"Teemo," relief filled Nina's face as his friends not-so-subtly pushed him further in so they could enter. "Where have you been? We were getting worried."

"I was at the orphanage." The response was quiet and carefully neutral. "There were some things bugging me so I went to ask Miss Whitmore about my past."

Both of his parents stiffened as he finally met their gazes, allowing him to easily reading the guilt and concern there.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

The couple exchanged a long look before Miles turned to his son. "We figured you'd come to us when you wanted to know."

"Maybe I would have if you didn't make it seem like you didn't _know_ anything." His tone was way more accusing than he'd meant it to be but Teemo was so angry and so hurt he couldn't find it in himself to care. "You never said anything at the hospital. Even when you brought up the massacre itself. You didn't think I'd want to know that as how I ended up at the orphanage? You didn't think I'd figure out that my biological _father_ killed my own _mother._ "

Nina's eyes filled with tears and a sliver of shame curled in the young scout's heart. But he refused to take his eyes off the man who had raised him as he lowered his own gaze. That was all the confirmation Teemo needed.

With a sinking heart he verbalised the worry that had been eating away at him for days. "So it's true?"

Miles could only nod his head.

All of a sudden, Teemo felt like he couldn't breathe. Felt like the walls were closing in around him. He needed to get out. Before he knew what he was doing, he'd raced out the still open doorway.

"Teemo!" Someone shouted behind him but his pace never slowed.

Back at the house, Nina collapsed into her husband's arms. Her cry had done nothing.

The three friends however, were already moving for the door.

"Don't worry," Tristana said with unwavering resolve, "we'll find him."

* * *

 _They'd been travelling for days. How many he wasn't sure anymore (He'd lost track a while back; more focused on keeping sane and providing solace for those that remained than keeping track of the time). During that time, their numbers had slowly been whittled down._

 _Lieutenant Roxanne had been the first to go. As the highest ranking member left, she was far too dangerous to leave alive for long (not that she would have let the humans touch her charges while she was still breathing anyway)._

 _Davis had also been killed early (the impulsive and heroic scout had caused a massive stir when the poachers had turned their eyes on the other recruits). His eyes had been fearful when he'd been pulled from his cage, but he'd given them a confident grin none-the-less, not wanting the others to remember him as anything but the bright-eyed and courageous yorlding they'd gotten to know._

 _Day after day they'd been taken (unable to do anything but watch as their companions had been slaughtered and extorted like unfeeling goods), until only he and Milli were left._

 _Their cages were close together, allowing the two of them to press close and share their warmth. Enjoying the comfort the other brought in knowing they weren't alone; yet ears on alert for the dreaded sound that would let them know that the hunters were coming back to pull someone away and leave the last, remaining yordle alone._

 _As if on cue, heavy footsteps approached._

 _Fear skyrocketed in the pair as they clung to one another, watching as Sven approached._

 _The hulking Freljordian surveyed the pair with detached eyes before walking up to Milli's cage and shooting her with a paralysis dart._

 _The soft-spoken girl screamed as the giant's hand closed around her body, trying to tug her out of her enclosure. However, Teemo refused to let go. He refused to do nothing as the last member of his party was taken (not when her eyes pleaded with him as tears rolled down her face). But it had been a futile endeavour from the start. As the poison set in, the large human's superior strength pulled them apart, sending the pale scout colliding back into the bars of his cage with such force that several items rattled and fell from the Yakashire._

 _Frustrated and reeling in pain, he could do nothing but watch as his friend slowly lost consciousness as she was carried to her death._

 _The grief, pain and anger he'd been holding back surged to the surface. He would not let it end like this._

 _He looked around frantically for something – anything – to use. He refused to go down without a fight. He would avenge his comrades, even if it killed him!_

* * *

"Teemo!" Tristana called out as the three yordles trudged through the jungle south of Bandle. They'd been able to follow his trail in the city, but once their friend had reached the outer limits he'd quickly evaded them. Still, they weren't about to give up.

For the next hour, the trio covered the nearby area in a grid-like pattern, trying to efficiently find the young scout. However, the longer they searched, the more they realised just how impossible it might be to find their friend if he didn't want to be found.

It was this thought that caused Rumble to stop in frustration. "This is getting us nowhere."

With hesitance, Ziggs paused as well, worry and despair warring on his face. Tristana however ploughed forward. "I'm not giving up."

"I'm not either," he snapped back. "But if we continue this way, we're never going to find him. We need a new plan."

Rounding back around, the blue girl shot him a frustrated look. "If you have a better idea then let's hear it."

"Uh hey guys?" Ziggs tried to get their attention, but the tension that had been growing between the friends had finally broken.

"Well not yet," the short teen's eyes narrowed as he met her glare head on. "But since our current plan isn't getting us anywhere, we're better off coming up with a new one instead of obstinately pursuing this one."

"Oh really? And here I thought we were just doing this for fun. There is no better way Rumble!" Tristana fumed. She was already turning back to their search when Rumble's next words stopped her in her tracks.

"I'm just trying to help. You don't need to bite my head off for it."

"Guys."

Ignoring Ziggs, the girl levelled her already deadly glare back on the boy. "Oh I'm sorry, am I not allowed to be concerned about my _missing friend?_ "

Rumble, however, never backed down. "He's my friend too! You think you're the only one worried?"

"Guys."

"You," Tristana closed the gap between them, "didn't see how upset he was last night! He was terrified that he was going to hurt us. What if he never comes back?"

"Guys!"

"If Teemo doesn't want to be found, we're never going to find him! He knows these woods better than any of us. He spent hours out here training with his Pa, as well as with us at the…"

"The clubhouse!" they exclaimed together, argument forgotten.

"It's not that far from here," Tristana continued excitedly. "We could-"

"Look out!" All of a sudden, Ziggs tackled the two to the ground as a large, furry beast sailed over their heads.

The three teens gasped at the massive, wolf-like creature turning back towards them.

"Dire-wolf!" Rumble gulped. "It must have gotten over the mountain range."

Due to its secluded nature, the jungle inside the Sablestone mountains was usually clear of larger predators, and those that did make it over were usually dealt with by the Scouts before they got close enough to do any damage. However, with their current crisis it seemed one had slipped through the cracks.

"That's great," Ziggs commented sarcastically, "but what do we do?!"

"Split up!" Tristana took over. "Then get as high as you can. Dire-wolves can't climb."

Immediately the trio shot off in different directions, confusing the Dire-wolf long enough to put some distance between them. Then it charged.

Seeing a low hanging branch, Tristana leapt and, in one fluid movement, swung herself up. The girl turned, gaze quickly zeroing in on the beast as it gained on Ziggs. She called out to him, even as she hooked her legs over the branch and let go.

The lanky yordle swerved towards her, catching the outstretched hands and allowing the blue teen to pull him up moments before the Dire-wolf lunged for his back.

The two weren't allowed much of a breather as it immediately turned back towards them, and while it may not be able to climb, it could most certainly jump.

With a pair of shrieks, the two teens scrambled up into the higher branches, the creature's teeth missing their feet by inches.

Before it could jump again however, its attention was pulled by a shrill whistle.

"Hey!" Rumble shouted as its attention swung in his direction. "Leave them alone!"

The beast eyed the small yordle still on the forest floor before it. Then it raced towards him.

To his credit, Rumble held his ground, even as his friends screamed at him and the massive creature drew closer at a frightening speed.

Just as the Dire-wolf was almost on top of him, the steel-blue teen dove under its legs. He dashed to his feet on the other side but wasn't ready for the creature's quick reaction. He wasn't able to do anything as its tight turn sent him flying away, landing with a heavy bang that knocked the wind out of him.

Before the large wolf could locate its prey, a high-speed cone hit its ear. "Hey ugly! Pick on someone your own size!"

With a growl, it turned towards the hazel yordle.

Ziggs' ears dropped as it immediately charged him. "Ah maybe that was a bad idea!"

Scrambling away, the teen tripped on an exposed root and, serendipitously, the beast went flying over his head.

He looked up in surprise, just in time to see Tristana fly kick the creature in the muzzle. While it was still recovering, the blue girl dragged Ziggs to his feet and over towards where Rumble had fallen.

The Dire-wolf shook off it dizziness, as it growled at the trio. It's ire had been steadily growing by how tenacious the little creatures were being. Carefully this time, it stalked towards them; its eyes remained fully focused on the three so to not be tricked again.

Therefore, it didn't see the dart until it had pierced its eye, releasing a cloudy powder that clogged the other with guck. The beast's howl of pain warbled off into another deep growl as it twisted its head around to find the new threat. It may not be able to see, but it had other ways of sensing its prey.

A light chuckle sounded from the forestry and the wolf's head immediately turned in that direction. At the exact same moment, a blade came slicing out of the undergrowth and slit its throat.

With one last gurgling noise, the Dire-wolf collapsed with a resounding thud and moved no more.

The three shell-shocked teens stared at the downed beast before their gazes were drawn to the pale yordle emerging from the foliage.

"Teemo?" Ziggs questioned, even though the figure before them was unmistakable.

He smiled at them, but it was an unsettling thing, never reaching his ice-cold eyes. "Not quite," the cream coloured yordle said.

In response, Tristana sent the newcomer a biting glare, "What'd you do to our friend?"

The yordle just scoffed, "Oh relax, the wimp's fine. He's just hiding while I do the dirty work."

"You're the reason Teemo's been having memory lapses isn't it?" Rumble's eyes narrowed as the gears turned in his head.

The figure shrugged, "I suppose you could say that."

"But you used your own team? You haven't shown care towards anyone?" Ziggs rambled in confusion. "Why suddenly save us?"

Blue eyes rolled, "Geeze you don't listen, do you? I told you, I'm here to _protect_ your friend, not hurt him. I handle the things he can't so he can switch off and not let his mind shatter under the weight of it – or at least doesn't shatter more." He smirked at his own joke before his expression became hardened once more. "So while I don't give a shit about you, he's based his entire emotional stability on you and his family. That means to protect him, I have to protect you – so long as your not a threat." The chilling smile was back. "Get it now?"

Before the trio could ask anything else, the young scout's face filled with confusion.

"Guys?" Teemo asked perplexed. "What are you doing here?"

The others exchanged a long look before Ziggs threw an arm around the confused teen. "Come on, we've got a lot to explain."

* * *

 **And there you have it. Teemo has dissociate identity disorder now (also known as split personality).**

 **I'll admit, I was both really excited and really nervous about this chapter for that exact reason. I did do a fair amount of research before this story to try and do it justice but I'm not an expert. Not to mention, even by mental health standards it seems to be a bit of a weird and mysterious disorder, nor has it been represented all that well in media to date.**

 **Since yordles aren't humans its not exactly the same either. For instance, while dissociate identity disorder is usually caused by traumatic incidents in young children as a way for them to cope with it (instead of PTSD which usually occurs in adults), Teemo is older than when it usually occurs. I've put that down to the fact that yordles are already susceptible to mental health issues (since they have a large social requirement to stay healthy) and thus he's still young enough for his mind to spit instead of going Insane.**

 **Umm, so yeah, let me know what you guys think. I'd love to get some feedback on this development.**


	11. The End of the Beginning

**Author's Note: Hey, a chapter that is actually on time. Probably because it's the epilogue :P.**

* * *

Tristana felt excitement bubble up inside her as she and the other final-year students made their way through the crowded auditorium for their graduation. Her teal eyes flicked over the crowd as she eagerly looked for familiar faces.

She easily spotted the bright white fur of her father, however her heart clenched when she couldn't make out her mother nearby. Her smile dropped ever so slightly as her emotions clashed inside her, unable to tell whether she was upset or grateful that the woman hadn't shown up.

However, her smile soon came back full force as she caught sight of the mass of curly, red hair next to him. Artemis had made it! Beaming, she waved at the pair of them.

Further up, the blue girl immediately noticed the entirety of Ziggs' family. Heather was there with her serene smile (even as her eyes kept a laser like focus on her younger children) while her husband played around with the settings on his video camera beside her. Pip, Coco and Taz were playing a game of pattycake on the floor while Cam grumbled next to them. The twins and Sophie were there as well and even Duke and his new wife had made it.

In the row in front of them, Rumble's parents sat; Rosalyn already crying while Chuck looked incredibly proud.

Then, at the very end of the row, the teen caught sight of Teemo. The pale boy looked happier and more confident than he had in a long while as he sat with his parents. Tristana smiled as she remembered the conversation that had happened after they'd gotten back from the forest.

* * *

 _As soon as Teemo opened the front door to his home, he was immediately smothered in a tight hug, curtesy of Nina. The pale yordle let her, leaning into the love and the warmth of the hug just as much as she was._

" _Oh Teemo," Nina sniffed, trying not to cry. "I was so worried."_

" _I'm sorry mum," he said softly. "I just needed some space to think. I didn't mean to worry you." Pulling out of the peach-yordle's embrace, the teen turned to Miles as he approached. "It was a lot to take in," he finished._

 _The older yordle nodded, before leading the group into the lounge._

 _Once seated, the dark-brown yordle turned to his son. "I'm sure you have some questions," he said softly._

 _From where he was sandwiched between his friends on the other couch, Teemo nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, hurt still lacing the low undertone of his voice._

" _In part, it was because I didn't want to remember," Miles answered, feeling his wife squeeze his hand in support. "I didn't want to relive the death of my sister, the madness of my best friend and what I had to do in the end to stop it. And I never wanted you to be the one burdened by that knowledge, no matter how much I knew you were entitled to it; no matter how much I knew that one day you would come to us seeking that knowledge."_

 _The male took in a deep breath before looking up to meet his son's gaze. "But for the most part, I was being selfish. I was scared that you would look at us differently after you knew. That you would be ashamed of what we- what I … let happen. That's why I didn't tell you at the hospital. I'm sorry."_

 _Teemo was silent for a long moment before, in a timid voice, he asked, "Did you know when you adopted me?"_

 _Nina stiffened in surprise at the deeper worry underlaying the question._

" _No," she said firmly. "When we adopted you, it was because I'd met a lovely and gentle boy who brought so much joy to our family. It was only later, when the similarities between you and Mile's sister appeared that we started to suspect there was more to it. But no matter what we found, it_ never _changed how we felt about you. You've always been that sweet, little boy we adopted and you will always be our son."_

 _The pale teen couldn't deny the love shining in his mother's eyes anymore than he could the honesty of her words. Feeling his own eyes start to fill with tears, he looked away; discreetly wiping them away._

 _On the couch next to him, Ziggs shifted in curiosity. "So, how come no one made the connection until you did? I mean seriously, how do you misplace a baby like that?"_

 _Tristana elbowed the lanky teen in the side. "Not the time Ziggs," she hissed._

 _Miles, however, just chuckled, "No, he raises a good point. Do you remember the nurse Miss Whitmore mentioned? The one who dropped Teemo at the orphanage?"_

 _The teens nodded._

" _That was Hayley, a friend of Nina's. She'd been checking up on Sera when we couldn't, including on the day of the attack. We'd always assumed she'd been killed before she got there, but it turns out she did make it to the house. There she found Sera collapsed in the kitchen, the injures she'd sustained inducing an early labour. However, at the time, no one had realised she'd survived long enough to give birth which is why we never went searching for the baby."_

" _But what about on the orphanage end?" Rumble asked. "How come they never found her name amongst the casualties?"_

" _Because she wasn't considered an unrelated victim," Nina said softly. "Her name remained anonymous out of respect due to her relation to the killer."_

" _So in the end, the pieces were there but no one had enough of them to put the whole puzzle together," Tristana summed up._

 _Finally managing to gather himself, Teemo turned back to his parents. "I'm glad you told me," he said, his voice raw but more confident now. "But you're right: in the end it doesn't really change anything. What happened then does not change who I am now, and it doesn't take away from the fact that_ you _are the ones that raised me. I'll always consider you to be my parents."_

* * *

Teemo met Tristana's gaze, giving the girl a thumbs up and a grin before her attention was pulled back to the front. Steadily, the final year students were seated on the stage before, with a fond look, the principal started his speech. "Fellow yordles, today we celebrate a monumental occasion for some of our beloved students as they transition from childhood to the adult world."

Shifting in her seat, the blue girl twisted around to spot Rumble and Ziggs seated two rows behind her. Both boys returned her face-splitting grin, the excitement and anticipation of the day mirrored in their own faces; bringing back memories from the night before.

* * *

 _The four teens had met up in their clubhouse outside of Bandle; likely, they realised, for the last time._

" _I can't believe we're graduating tomorrow," Tristana voiced as she fondly gazed at the cluster of photos and drawings pinned above the desk. "It feels so surreal."_

" _It'll sink in," Teemo assured her knowingly from where he was leaning up against the wall._

" _I'm just glad I won't have to do anymore assignments! Woo-hoo! Freedom!" Ziggs crowed before toppling over in his excitement._

 _Rumble just rolled his eyes, "We'll still have assignments at university dummy. We're not off the hook yet." He nudged the downed boy with his foot, causing him to whine._

" _Why must the world be so cruel."_

" _So you guys are going to Bandle Uni right?" Teemo asked curiously._

 _The other two boys grinned. "Yep! We're doing engineering together!"_

" _And Trist's Megling training is on track," Rumble took over. "So we're all set."_

" _What about you?" Tristana turned to their cream-furred friend. "What are you going to do now?"_

 _His expression turned thoughtful. "Honestly," he responded. "I'll probably go back to the Scouts."_

 _The other three looked at him in surprise. "Really? After everything that happened?" Rumble asked._

" _What if_ he _comes back?" Tristana continued concerned._

 _Teemo didn't need to ask who she was talking about. "I have no doubt that he will," he told them seriously. "But when I thought about it I realised: that I wouldn't have been the same if you guys hadn't helped me through this. And that makes me worry about what could happen to you if I'm not here to help. I_ can't _let something like what happened to me happen to anyone else. Not if I have a way to stop it. And if_ that _guy is going to stay, then I might as well put him to good use."_

 _When he looked up at them, there was a fire in his eyes that told the trio that he was determined to see his words through._

* * *

Up until now, the events that were happening hadn't really hit Tristana fully. But in that moment (sitting on the stage to her own graduation), it hit her like a bolt of lightning: things were never going to be the same ever again. Everything they'd ever known their entire life was about to change.

"And now, give it up to the class of 14!" Mr Jadefellow finished. As rehearsed, the final year students stood as one and strode down the hall and out the front doors. All to the sound of a thunderous applause.

As they walked, Ziggs and Rumble by her side (while Teemo and their families supported them), Tristana knew that it didn't matter. Yes, things had changed. But it didn't have to be for the worse. In the end, they had to decide that for themselves.

* * *

As the students and parents celebrated together, Artemis made her way over to the secluded corner where Miles sat. It might not be the most formal setting, but her report could wait no longer.

Casually, the redhead sat down across from the veteran Scout as he regarded her sombrely.

"How did the mission go?" he asked discreetly.

With a grim look, she slid across her mission report to the chocolate-brown yordle. "It was a success – if you can call it that. It took us a while but we found everything we needed to know what happened."

Miles cut the tape off the file but didn't open it yet. Instead he turned to the golden-skinned woman, hope warring with realism on his face. "Did you find any other survivors?"

Artemis was already shaking her head, her expression pained. "No. All the bodies were accounted for."

"And the culprits?"

The Megling said nothing, just gestured to the file with a disturbed expression.

With resignation, he opened the document and started reading. The details of the report, along with the corresponding images painted a very gruesome picture indeed; by the time the veteran scout had finished, his eyes were as wide as saucers.

"He did all of that to the hunters on his own?" Miles asked, his voice low despite his growing horror.

All Artemis could do was nod.

* * *

 **Annnd that's it! The end of this arc has come to a close. Thank you to everyone who stuck with me on this one, I know it was a little darker than the ones before it but I hope it was enjoyable anyway.**

 **Anyway, as per usual I'll be taking a slightly longer break between arcs. So be looking for the first chapter of the next arc to be up in about a month (also per usual I will post at the end of this chapter to alert people to the new story going up). It will be a Kennen centred one again :).**

 **Hope you enjoyed yourselves!**

 **Candlestic**

 **Fun facts:**

 **1\. Omega Squad Teemo is based on what would have happened to him had the other's not helped him through the trauma of this story (and could be what he becomes were anything drastic to happen to them all in the future).**

 **2\. The nurse Hayley was also a friend of Rosalyn's but she couldn't help out at the time since she'd just had Rumble.**

 **3\. Teemo's 16th birthday occurred while he was missing in the jungle. Some sweet 16th huh.**


End file.
